(Tom's P.O.V.)
I had already booked our tickets then. The only flight that day was set at 10:30, which I found was too late but the soonest one I could get. Every second was making it harder for me, I trembled, tried to breathe and stay strong.
After I had picked Caroline up yesterday, I brought her home and told her to sleep. I could tell that she noticed I was behaving differently, but she had very little to go on. She also didn't notice the suitcases in the car, which I was very glad about. I had no idea what I would've told her if she asked me. I tried hard not to seem... off.
There was still some preparation I needed to make. Some of our paperwork and arrangements with our employers. We couldn't simply disappear like that. This made me decide to let her see him this one last time. God, how unnerving this was. I dropped her at his house and went back, not wanting to lose anymore precious time. Our passports, money and our IDs were all with me.
We had to drive off quite early in the morning, calculating the time we needed at the airport and the time to get there, also some time for anything unexpected.
I was shaking. I had never done something like that before. Strictly speaking, this was abduction. I could never imagine myself forcing her into something, but it seemed to me the most drastic measure I had to take in case she wouldn't come. I was saving her from a future she definitely didn't want, and much more.
I felt something horrible was to happen if we stayed.
(Caroline's P.O.V.)
Tom dropped me off at Loki's that morning. How he came with this idea himself remained a mystery to me - he couldn't stand Loki, he didn't trust him, and he was jealous. I couldn't blame him, Loki was taking it easy on Tom. Provokation was not even an appropriate word to describe what he was doing to him. I embraced the opportunity to see Loki, as there was lots of communication we had to do to go back to where our relationship once was.
I had forgiven him for beating me, more or less willingly, and he made an effort to make it up to me. A part of me thought it was impossible for us to go back in time. What happened wasn't something you could just forget. I mean, Loki had been violent with me before, I didn't quite remember the details, but after he and Tom were separated, I drew a line under it.
Just like Tom, he was different that day.
He was shaking, I noticed it when I handed him something to drink. Loki's hand had never shaken before, at least not in front of me. It didn't fit into the whole 'god' thing to shake like an old man with Parkinson's disease. I had gone back into the kitchen, only to run back after the sounds of breaking glass, to see he had broken the wine glass in his grasp. Guess who had to remove the splinters.
When I asked, he'd say everything was alright and that I didn't need to worry about him. I hated this masquerade, I hated how people were always hiding things from me.
Since it was still winter and therefore cold outside, we stayed in the living room in front of the fireplace. I had asked Loki to make a fire, which he - very manly - did. It was so cosy, with my fluffy jacket and the hot chocolate while we were looking at old childhood pics. Don't ask me how he got them, 'cause I have no freaking idea. I had long ago accepted the fact that creepy Loki did creepy things.
We were almost cuddling, so near was he. The album was on my lap and we would look and laugh at the pictures together. We sure were an idyllic sight - no one seeing us could've told we were anything but peaceful lovers.
"How life changes." I sighed and bit my lip. I had changed so much, not necessarily on purpose, but nonetheless. I couldn't completely recall the Caroline from before the accident, but I knew inside my heart that she would've been proud.
"A life without change is life unworthy of living." Loki commented and stared into the distance. It seemed to have taken his thoughts somewhere else. He was reminiscing in his own childhood memories, where everything must have been perfect. Or so I thought.
"I wouldn't necessarily - "
"Can you imagine staying like this, your entire mortal life, Caroline?" He suddenly cut me off and his head snapped to the side, facing me.
I hesitated. "Um, that's a though question." I shifted slightly. "I think the purpose of life is eventually happiness, which we can find through emotional growth and - "
"As a mortal. As a human with a biological clock. How could there be purpose in a life so short?"
As much as I normally loved deep conversations, I didn't like this way of thinking. Human lives were no less worthy than immortal ones.
"So, where's the purpose in immortal life, then? Just living away, with no end in sight, how could there be purpose in a life where time means nothing?" I retorted, staring into the green of his eyes. I noticed then that he had some minor blue pigmentation in his eyes - some considered this a genetic flaw.
"There is a beauty in evanescence. In things having in expiry date. Not everything, though." I continued. "Some, very selected things are meant to last forever."
"Love." He spoke softly. I felt him putting his arm around my shoulders. I allowed it, not wanting to reject him, even though I did not desire his proximity. Not then. The hairs on my body stood, even warmed up by fire he was cold in this coldness. His breath which I felt on my face was chilling.
"Do you like the hot chocolate I made?" I asked in an attempt to end the silence and turn away. Looking back up to him, I saw his face. I couldn't read it, it wasn't blank, but not one of those expressions I could interpret.
I inhaled deeply, my body betrayed me. I tried not to be intoxicated. Honestly, I loved his smell. He had the same scent as Tom and they both were hopelessly enchanting without saying a word. They could bring worlds to their knees, all without raising a hand. I had forgotten what we were talking about.
In the back of my head, I noticed him bending down to my face. Only in my subconscious. I was brain-blinded - seeing everything, but not knowing what it meant. Even in the moment his lips touched mine, I was staring into the void. What was happening to me? Why did I let him touch me?
Did I want this?
I wasn't doing anything. I didn't return the kiss, nor did I break it. Loki was mesmerizing. There was no doubt about that. His kiss wasn't exactly as I had always imagined. It was still soft, but there was a long oppressed hunger fueling it. He raised his hand to my head, soft as feather putting it on my hair, holding me close. He withdrew to look at me, I believed to see remorse in his face. His hand sank to my back.
"This was our first kiss." He breathed. "I always knew you felt as I did."
He bent down again. His words moved something inside me - made me defensive. This wasn't true - or was it? Oh, God. How could I not know? No, this was hypnosis, I wouldn't have done this otherwise. This time I wasn't motionless. I raised my hands to his chest and pushed, feeling disgusted with both of us.
"No." I uttered the first time, weakly. "Loki, please." I gasped disbelievingly as he tightened his grip around my back. "No, let me go!"
Suddenly, his hands both shot to my face. I gasped again - this wasn't new. I had seen this somewhere before. Was this a memory coming up, pushing its way into my conscious? I was taken by surprise, couldn't concentrate. But I definitely experienced a déjà-vu.
"Don't fight it, Caroline." I whispered forcefully to me. "Please, don't. For both of us."
I was locked in his hands, half frozen, half resisting. He was begging. "Please." I raised my hands to his wrists, tried to get his grip off. I could've pushed against a statue.
I almost felt sorry for him in this state. A strong man like him shouldn't be like this. But my fear and uncomfort were bigger than my guilty. He kissed me again, this time more intensely. I kept fighting, for vain. Loki was a hundred times stronger than me. I panicked. I hated to do things like that, but he left me no choice.
There was a cake I had made for us before. Where there was a cake, there was also a knife. I didn't trust my strength to pierce through all the leather, but he wore no protection around his neck. As the knife was out of reach I managed to grab a fork and ram it to the side of his neck, as forcefully as I could. He broke away from me and groaned, which gave me just enough moment of surprise to free myself and run.
Running into the cellar would've been stupid and the front doors too far - where could I run, anyway? Just away was the name of the game. I had only one option. Dashing upstairs, I went into my room and locked myself in. Memories were coming back from the last time I did this, perhaps I could save myself again. I somehow felt, no talking could save me this time.
I braced myself against the door, as if that would hold him back. Oh, God. This was just like the last time, what a betrayal after I had forgiven him! He could break that door - and me - in a split second. But what else could I do? My heart pounded in my chest, it was unbearable. My legs were heavy and almost immobile.
I felt a bang on the door in my back, and gasped. The door angles rattled. He was right behind me, I breathed faster.
"You tremble in fear of me." He pleaded and pleaded with a tone of voice that I would've fallen for if I wasn't in that situation. It was true, he was scaring me. "When you are the last human who must do so."
"Liar." I didn't want to start crying then, but once again I was at the verge of tears. "You're always lying to me, always."
"Can't you see how you bring out the good and the beautiful in me? My muse and angel. And so do I with you."
I didn't reply, I couldn't, all he brought out in me was fear and terror. I started shaking, the hairs on my body all stood. The window opposite me suddenly broke open, the frosty wind blew aggressively into my face. It snowed into the room.
"Do not fear my passion! I will love you like no mortal can love you!"
"Leave me alone!" I shouted.
"You belong to me."
"You're insane!"
My back was still against the door. There was no sound from beyond the mighty wood, the window flew shut in an instant. Silence. I could hear my hitched breath and my dangerously fast heartbeat. No, he had not given up, this was too easy. Something was wrong. Something was always wrong.
I breathed one or two more breaths when I felt a burning sensation on my back. "Ah!" I pushed myself off the door in shock, turned around. The thick wooden door had iced up, I had frostbite on my back. The ice expanded, the door bended, cracked louder and louder. I sensed what was coming, and ran towards the bed, held to the one of the poles supporting the canopy.
The door was then launched across the room, not far from me, and hit the window. It had become dark so quickly outside. My room was sombre and and the only light shone from the corridor, from behind him. He seemed like a dark figure, a frame with the shape of a human. My heart was beating to my ears. My mind lost orientation. He approached. I sensed it before I could see it. I had only made one step forwards when two strong hands locked around my upper arms, tighter than any haemodynamometer I had ever operated.
"Enough with this insulting game." He growled calmly.
"I don't want you." I uttered while struggling to get free.
"Stop lying to me!" He insisted, now with a menace I regretted provoking. My arguments were invalid. His ego had been hurt.
"You're the liar." I snapped, much to his despite. He should go die in a hole and leave me alone.
"And you think he's so innocent." He scoffed and held me even tighter, if that was possible. My hands started tingling. "It was me who saved you when you were a cripple - physically and mentally. While he played in front of cameras, not losing one thought for you."
"Is guilt the chain to bind me to you?"
My arms were rendered harmless, but I still had my legs. My knee was already in his groin before I could think about it. I ducked from under his arms and bolted for the door.
Out, just out and away. I didn't think about where I went. Run. There was it again, this spinning of the walls, my vision turned strange. Was the velvet carpet moving, pushing me off my feet? I fell once, but picked myself up in an instant. There was no time for that. There weren't many places left I could run to, I opened the nearest door.
I entered without thinking and slammed the door shut. Stripes of gold the walls were beaming, which allowed me to see some. It was almost beautiful, this magical glowing, idyllic. I didn't need the smell to confirm my suspicion. It was his forbidden library. So many bookshelves in the strangest and most exceptional shapes, I couldn't imagine how much creativity flew in such creation.
I knelt behind one that seemed large enough to hide me from his sight, at least, for a brief moment. Loki didn't needed his sense of sight when truly targeted someone.
This situation seemed oddly familiar, something like that had happened to me once. My memory was clouded - my old apartment, in the kitchen... Under the table, afraid and hiding from this monster of a man. Was it me who turned him insane every time? This wasn't fair, I had never wanted any of this, never wanted to hurt anyone. His composure was so evanescent.
I sensed him entering the room. To my luck, the lights stayed out, not that he really needed them. But it could buy me crucial seconds. I had crouched somewhere the beaming stripes' light did not touch me. It was in his mischievous nature to play games, especially mind games. I always found them cruel.
"Of chains you speak." Loki spat, there was cynicism, but also desperation in his voice. "While I am kneeling, begging you, only longing and craving your favour. I can have you chained, broken and submissive, did I ever do those things to you?"
I put my hand in front of my mouth to avoid any noise.
"Tell me!"
I heard him halt somewhere, sigh. I didn't have the guts to look up.
"I will give you this one, last chance. Abandon this foolish act and be mine. Marry me, Caroline. You're mortal marriage is invalid in Asgard, you can become my wife now if you would only come!"
I stayed where I was. Never would I be the wife of this sick creature. How would I get out of this? Only Tom could help me now, but I had no idea what time it was. Could I stall long enough for him to come to my aid?
"Mortal minds work slower than ours, I will give you a moment to think. Do you not understand? Do you not see how privileged you are?"
Privileged. Being blackmailed and coerced into a marriage, is this what he understood by privileged?
"You try my patience. Make your choice."
Again the sound of cracking. A frosty gust met my face. A shelf iced up and burst. Hundreds of books ripped apart, on the ground. One after the other, he was dismantling the entire library! And he was coming closer to me. Paralyzed, I could move. It was then that it dawned on me, I was fucked.
I remained there, waited, I could surrender but that was not in my nature. The small shelf hiding me got colder, ice was forming on and within the wood. It would burst any second. Oh, God, this cold! I could see my breath. Not a moment to soon, I darted.
Now I was exposed, nothing was hiding me from his sight. I didn't want to look, didn't want to see what was coming, even if it was only his green glowing eyes. But I managed to rise. Whatever was coming for me, I was going to take it standing. He came closer and closer. I backed away with fear. This wasn't going to end well for me.
Another step backwards, and my back hit something. It was definitely not a wall, nor a shelf. It was hard, but also smooth and felt like -
I turned around, not believing my eyes. Was this another trick of his? What was the meaning of something so - sick! I stretched my hand out, touched it, it was wax. He had made a wax figure of me, for an instant I thought it was my reflection. But that was impossible, for the figure wore a wedding gown which could've been only made by the God of Mischief himself.
A gown so elegant and royal, with a train and embroidery everywhere, strapless and plain white, with gems out of this world, it was the definition of beauty itself. It was worth a human fortune. It was hugging every curve of my body.
And it was intended for me to wear the day I became his wife.
I felt him behind me, his presence was charging the air, turning my breath white, electrifying. Loki put his arms around me from behind, leaving them around my waist and whispering into my ear.
"This is not perfection." He breathed, almost with shame. "But close to it. I did not have the time to finish it. I made it for you, only for you. Wear this, or I will burn it with this entire house to ash."
I shivered harder, if that was in any way possible.
"Loki - " I sobbed, but couldn't finish. I hadn't noticed had he had withdrawn one arm, but now, he was pressing a blade to my throat. This had to be terror in its finest, truest, ugliest form.
"You will be mine, and mine alone. Do you understand?"
I was at the edge of collapsing, about to pass out. No words, no more, only my whimpering. What he did then was worse than my most frightening nightmares.
In a split second, the knife was away. He held me by my wrist and dragged me across the room, into corners I had never seen. All the golden stripes, the met at one point. And entrance to another room, only covered by a curtain. As we went through, he uttered "I am so sorry I must do this. But it is for your best."
Before I could take in these words, the room rendered me speechless. It was a chamber, unearthly in design, with seemingly no walls, just ending in pitch black darkness somewhere. A hundred candles, some floating in the air, some on the ground, some scattered everywhere, gifted light, revealing a circular bed.
He shoved me on the bed, I screamed and fought, powerless. He turned me around, face down, spoke into my ear from above. "You cannot fathom how important this is. Stay down, do not move."
I couldn't even if I wanted. He cut my sweater in half, revealing my pale back.
So this was it. I had escaped countless times, the calamity had found me now. He would take what he wanted from me, with force. Never in my life had it occurred to me that I could some time be where so many women and girls found themselves. Raped. I gasped, my throat clogged with tears and screams unable to come out, as he pressed his cold palm to my exposed skin.
"Please, no, no." I cried bitterly.
"Dea divina."
I screamed. He pressed the knife to my back. It burnt, hurt, I wanted to die. Nothing but to fall into the deepest depths of death and escape him.
"Ascensio."
My struggling for my life was useless. It only made it hurt more, as he then pushed me harder down. This man was insane and would do insane things to me.
I was kissed by benevolence then. I didn't feel his weight, the blade, the cold of his hand anymore. Had I dreamt it away?
I wasn't being slashed, for now. Immediately turning around, I saw who had fought him off of me. It had always been him. I cried in relief.
"Go, Caroline, go! "
Could this be hallucination - Loki battling a blonde version of himself at the edge of the universe, on the transition from Earth to darkness. My angel, Loki tackled and pinned him to the ground. Loki took the knife, raised it above his head and thrust it into Tom's throat. They moved too fast for my eyes, I couldn't follow. I found the blade stabbed into the ground and not Tom's vulnerable flesh. More and more movement, faster and faster. A terrible crack. Loki's neck seemed malformed, bent beyond what a human could endure.
But Loki wasn't a human, and from the ground he stared back at us with venomous eyes.
"Come!" Tom stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him. I couldn't run, couldn't move. In an instant, he swept me off my feet. In a split second I found as at the main entrance.
"I don't know where the keys are." I choked, while Tom just shook his head and kicked the door open. Out into the winter night. It was freezing, snowing, storming. Natural, for once. Today was December 30th. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve.
I collapsed. The last thing I perceived was Tom carrying me into a Jeep, putting my seatbelt on, taking the driver seat. His warm hand squeezed mine lightly.
"I will protect you from him."