I woke to my face being pressed against something smooth and pine scented. Leather.
Wait. Leather?
I crained my neck to find Loki's sleeping face resting near mine. His arms wrapped securely around my waist. My face was pressed gently into his chest and my legs where tangled in his.
This wasn't unusual. Although neither of us preferred it, it was one hundred times better than trembling all throughout the night due to the freezing floor.
He began to stir and pulled me impossibly closer, crushing my hand between his stomach and my ribs.
I grunted and tried to wriggle myself out of his grip. Which was way too tight. There was no way I was freeing myself.
His eyes snapped open and he looked around before glancing down at me. Once he realized the position we were in, he immediately let go and pushed me away in disgust. His face twisted into an appalled expression. The kind you would make if you saw a rat.
He made a "hmpf" sound and pushed the hair out of his face before rolling to the opposite side. Soon, I heard his soft snoring.
He is a much more likable person when he is asleep.
I curled into a ball and rested my head on the cold marble floor. Shivers rolling down my spine. It was very early, maybe around 4:00am.
Guards don't start patrolling until 5:00am and they don't give us breakfast until 9:00am, lunch at noon, and dinner at 5:00pm, then they stop patrolling at 9:00pm.
This was how I kept track of time now, and it was the only thing keeping me relatively sane.
I shivered again and longed for the the feeling of Loki's warm arms to be wrapped around me again.
I felt my heart lurch and my stomach churn with home sickness. I missed my family. I missed everything. The comforts of home. My friends. My own, warm bed. Oh how I missed my silky sheets and duvet and my pillows that felt like clouds and my thousands of nicknacks that littered my wall and shelves. And my stuffed animals and my own bathroom.
Oh god and my own bathroom, now all I get is a pail.
Ohhh and food. Good food. Not this god awful sludge they feed us now.
Suddenly, Loki pulled me from my thoughts.
"L...Loki? Are you alright?" I whispered.
He twitched, his head jerking suddenly to the side as his eyes squeezed tightly.
"S-stop..." He pleaded, his head twitching violently to the other side. I scooted closer to him. "Stop! Please!" He cried out and then winced in pain, recoiled, and curled into a ball.
Sweat drenched his forehead and his hair stuck to his neck and face. I cupped his cold face in my hands. His trembling subsided slightly.
"Loki ... Loki wake up." I uttered, shaking him slighty. He groaned and then visibly winced. "Loki." I said a bit louder and shook his shoulders. "Wake up" I commanded, shaking him harder.
His bright green eyes flew open and he sat up. His irises darting around the room. He was gasping for air, as if he had just emerged from a swimming pool. He gulped hard, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Loki its okay." I cooed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. He continued to breathe heavily as his eyes scanned the room, as if looking for any sign of danger.
"Its okay, its okay Loki it was just a dream, you're okay," I assured. He nodded slowly.
Vision of clutching him like this while we were tortured flashed across my eyes. While the whip slashes on his back bled through the night. While the burns and brands sizzled until morning. While the chains dug into our skin and reopened long forgotten wounds.
"Im sorry." He apologized, sniffling slightly.
"I don't mind." I lied. He gulped and nodded as we laid in that position for quite some time.
Finally, he shifted, freeing himself from my grasp. An expression of loathsomeness flashed across his face.
"Don't touch me you worm." He spat.
My heart dropped, I thought we were actually getting somewhere.
I sighed heavily, and rolled my eyes, used to this behavior by now. I rested against the far wall, keeping my space from Loki.
"Rise and shine pets!' A guard called happily as he strutted down the damp halls of the prison, banging his sword against a cell every so often just to startle the prisoners.
He stopped in front of ours and turned, a sly grin smearing across his face. "Why if it isn't my favorite prisoners." He purred, venom dripping from his tone. He hit the clear enclosure walls with the weapon in his hand, causing me to jump back at the sudden, loud sound.
Naddr. The man who could "do with us as he pleases."
He chuckled evilly. "Oh I see Loki is still pouting, like the little bitch he is." I grit my teeth.
He unlocked the door to our cell before throwing two, dull, grey, trays at Loki's feet. Food splattered in all directions.
"Eat up maggots." He cackled before slamming the door behind him. He then continued on his way to deliver the rest of the food, and berate the other prisoners.
I sighed as Loki picked up one of the two pieces of stale bread on his tray. I picked at my fingernails and could sense his eyes trained on me.
I stared at the dull trays, anything to avoid his loathsome stare. I could still feel it burning through my skull, singeing my brain. His gaze made me squirm.
My stomach gurgled but also churned at the thought of consuming food. I was to anxious to eat, and most of the time, anything I swallowed came right back up. My mind was telling me to eat, but I was too busy planning how to kill myself.
He sighed once he finished his second slice of bread and kicked the tray away, making me flinch slightly.
I quickly became bored and slumped back onto the ground, making inhumane sounds.
"Are you alright?" He raised and eyebrow, marking the third thing he has said to me today. I groaned and bit back tears.
"Yes." I lied as I pulled at my hair. I couldn't stand this cell!
My feet dragged me towards the wall, and before I knew what I was doing I was slamming my foot as hard as I could against the thick stone. I nearly screamed. Loki rolled his eyes and brushed his hair out of his face.
"That looked like it hurt." He pointed out. I glared at him.
He sat there as if nothing was wrong. As if we weren't going to be in this damn cell for a year. Biting his stupid fucking nails and twirling his hair without a fucking care. I seethed at him. How dare he not care. How dare he not be angry.
My foot still ached, but that pain was interrupted by a splitting pain shooting down my neck. A pain that only meant one thing.
"Loki." I warned, glaring at him. "Get out of my head." He glared at me before chuckling dryly.
I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose as a wave of nausea flooded over me. I was surprised that I still had the physical ability to vomit considering I had not eaten anything in the last four days.
I dashed to the bathroom, which was really just a tin pail in the corner off the cell, and immediately emptied my stomach. My body continued to dry heavy as I gagged, tears were streaming down my cheeks.
Loki watched me nervously, as if he didn't know what to do. I was now hugging the pail to my chest as I lost my stomach a second time.
When I was positive I was done, I coughed and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Loki had reluctantly pulled my dark hair back somewhere in between my vomiting episodes and was now letting it cascade around my shoulders again.
"Are you growing sick?" Loki questioned, sounding genuinely concerned.
Chills ran down my spine.
"I don't know. You reading my mind constantly, and giving me splitting headaches definitely has nothing to do with it." I snapped sarcastically walked my hands down the wall until my butt touched the floor.
I shivered again and pulled my knees to my chest.
"Fuck, Aislin! Your lips are blue!" He uttered, his eyes widening. My teeth began to chatter.
He shook his robe off, leaving him in only a green tunic and gently placed it around my shoulders.
Loki was actually being nice?
"Thanks." I murmured. How awkward.
I bundled myself up as he awkwardly pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around my torso.
Again, the need for comfort beats the hatred.
He tried to put what little distance he could between us, but soon gave up as I rested my head on his shoulder uneasily, my heart was thumping in my chest the entire time, as I was still uneasy being this close to him.
"I thought you hated me." I said thoughtfully.
"I do." He snapped without hesitation. "But if you died, I would not have anyone to else annoy."
"How sweet." I mumbled.
His robes smelt like leather, evergreen, and cinnamon. I took a deep breath before slowly drifting to sleep in Loki's embrace.
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"Good morning." Loki grumbled as I wiggled out of his arms. "Are you feeling a bit better?" He pressed the back of his cool hand against my forehead. "Dear Odin you're burning up!" He whispered, his eyes widening. I was shocked at his empathy.
"Are you okay?" I asked, placing the back of my hand against his forehead. He raised an eyebrow at me but I just shook my head.
Chills ran down my spine at an alarming rate and I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. At the same time, a bead of sweat dripped down my nose.
Great. A Fever.
I wrapped the robes around myself impossibly tighter.
I was wondering when this would happen. Two months of being malnourished, with absolutely no hygiene? It's a wonder that I went this long before coming down with something.
A sigh escaped my lips and I collapsed back onto the cool marble floors.
"I.. I think I need the pail again." I announced, rolling towards it. Loki rolled his eyes and was already holding my hair back as I lost my stomach for the third time. I set the pail back down with a clunk as the horrid smell set in. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, while wrapping my arms around myself.
"It is unbelievable how easily you disgusting mortals get sick." Loki spat. I was about to reply with a snarky comment but a tapping sound outside our cell drew both of our eyes to the source.
"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Naddr purred. "Sharing clothes now, are we?"
He neared me until my back was pressed against the wall. Slowly, he removed Loki's robes from my body. One arm at a time.
They crumpled to the ground around my feet and I gulped as Naddr raised the tip of his sword to my throat.
In one swift motion, he brought it down, slicing the front of my shirt open, leaving my undergarments entirely revealed.
I shuddered as he ever so slowly forced the cut tunic off of my shoulders. My hand flew up to cover myself.
"I prefer you much better like this." He whispered in my ear, and tore my arms away from my chest.
I struggled against his weight as he gripped my hair in his fist.
His hand jerked backwards harshly, and I yelped as he exposed my neck to him.
His lips pressed to my skin harshly and bit down hard.
I gasped as tears filled the corners of my eyes. He gripped my hips, pushing me against the wall as he nipped my skin harder.
"Stop struggling." He ordered, slamming my body against the wall again. I cried out as my head hit the wall.
I'm going to be sick. Again.
"Let go of her." Loki commanded, standing up from his sitting position.
"Or what?" The guard taunted cockily, continuing to suck on my neck as he continued to provoke the man clad in green.
He ran his tongue across my sore skin.
Suddenly, the guard was ripped from my body and thrown to the floor. Loki lunged at him and wrapped his hands around his throat until his face turned purple.
My forehead was drenched in sweat and my knees became weak as I collapsed to the ground.
Several other guards stormed the cell when they heard Naddr's screams. Loki was dragged away along with the unconscious guard.
I shakily pressed two fingers to the sore spot on my neck and winced. That's going to leave a mark.
The other prisoners stared at me hungrily through the clear walls, some of them making inappropriate gestures, and licking their lips. I shuddered and pulled Loki's robes around my shoulders, shivering profusely.
They booed and hissed at me as I covered my body and curled in the back corner. Slowly drifting to sleep with tears in my eyes.
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I woke to the sound of the cell door opening, my eyes fluttered open to witness the guards throw Loki to the floor before locking the door. One decided to kick his ribs before he was satisfied.
"That'll teach him to talk back!" Another one cackled as they left.
"Oh god," I whispered, crawling towards him. I shakily cupped his face and turned him so his eyes met mine.
A horrified gasp left my lips, and I brought my hand to my mouth. It took everything in me not to scramble away from him.
"Oh... Oh my god" I stuttered, beginning to tremble, my stomach churned and I felt my mouth watering as if I was about to vomit.
His eyes were sunken in and there was a large gash on his forehead and chin. Two huge bruises blemished his left cheek. His hands were gashed and his wrists were slashed, along with his bare chest and back.
His tunic was tied around his leg and was soaked in blood.
Finally, blood dripped from his mouth. Trailing down his chin and neck. There were little red dots of blood circling his lips . A wave of nausea washed over me and black started to cloud my vision.
They had sewn his lips together.