A Well Deserved Respite
Stepping through the orange portal from Earth, Sylvie and Loki arrived in a different year on an entirely new planet.
Sylvie looked around to make certain it was the right place before turning to her counterpart with a satisfied smirk.
“You showed me Central Park, let me take you to my favorite little piece of wilderness.”
Swaying gently around them were enormous trees of various shapes and sizes. Loki marveled at how some stretched up to the sky further than he could even see.
“Come on, I want to take you somewhere,” Sylvie said with a fond smile and started walking.
Loki followed her, still glancing up occasionally at some trees which grew in altogether different shapes than others.
Sylvie attempted to project more confidence than she felt as she strode through the trees. This was the longest she had ever been above ground on this planet and a part of her kept screaming to run.
While her back was to him Loki noticed one of Sylvie’s hands clenching and releasing nervously by her side. He jogged after his counterpart who had gotten a ways ahead of him. When Sylvie was within reach Loki caught her wrist lightly to slow her brisk pace.
“Hey…”
Sylvie turned to see Loki’s brow drawn with concern.
“I’m fine,” she said hastily.
“You don’t have to be,” he said simply.
Sylvie made a somewhat pouty face, not wanting to spoil their afternoon but feeling a bit overwhelmed.
“We have all the time in the world—worlds,” he grinned kindly, not able to help how endearing he found her expression, “What is it, has one of these trees whispered something untoward? Because I would gladly have words with him, I’m not above fighting an arboreal life form,” Loki deadpanned playfully.
Sylvie huffed a soft laugh and smiled, “you’re such a daft idiot…”
Loki smirked at the her affectionate tone, “a handsome one though, don’t forget handsome.”
“You are handsome, that is true,” she conceded as he took her hands.
“Come here,” he said softly and pulled her close, “You know, for all my travels, I don’t believe I have ever made love in the woods…” he pretended to struggle to remember and Sylvie chuckled with amusement.
Loki smiled at the tension which seemed to ease from Sylvie’s shoulders as she shook her head softly.
“And you shall continue not to,” she teased with a faint smile.
“Ah pity, we could give the native wildlife quite a show—not unlike the frolicking fae of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’…”
“Well that is definitely not happening,” she laughed.
Loki narrowed his eyes in mock reproach, “Such little imagination, however am I to hold your interest?”
“I suppose you’ll just have to try a little harder,” she teased airily and slipped from his grasp to walk backwards slowly with a playful glint in her eye.
“Mm, you do keep me on my toes,” he smirked and followed with a predatory look, “lucky I’m no stranger to mischief… I’ll wear you down yet.”
Sylvie grinned and turned to take off running into the woods with Loki in close pursuit. She laughed and ducked between trees as Loki followed easily.
The tree density was closer the deeper into the woods they went, but Loki still managed to keep pace just behind her as they went.
Just as he was about to catch up to her Sylvie ran behind an enormous tree trunk. As Loki came around the other side of where he’d just seen her go, she was suddenly nowhere to be found.
“Sylvie?” Loki’s heart pounded and he looked around anxiously.
He backed up as he turned to look around and suddenly the ground below him gave way. Loki yelped in surprise as he fell through vines and mossy earth, grasping to catch hold but finding no purchase.
Landing unceremoniously on a large mossy heap he scrambled to find his bearings. He tried to stand but couldn’t balance as the surface squished unevenly beneath him.
Without warning Sylvie pounced on him from the shadows, bowling him over onto the soft ground cover.
“Yaaagh! Sylvie?!”
Loki grabbed her shoulders as she descended into a fit of laughter and he heaved an annoyed exhale of weary relief.
“You should’ve seen yourself trying to stand on the yeti moss!” She held her side as her eyes watered from the hysterical laughing.
“Yes quite hysterical—I only thought I’d lost you again, very drôle,” Loki huffed.
Sylvie’s laughter died down and she studied him curiously, “You’re upset…?”
Loki looked away, suddenly feeling silly for reacting so emotionally to the scenario. Sylvie cupped his cheek to get his attention and looked into his eyes sincerely.
“It’s alright, we’re safe… I’m not going anywhere.”
With a sigh Loki placed his hand over hers and turned his face to kiss her palm.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” she said softly.
“I didn’t mean to get so upset,” Loki looked a little chagrined, “I suppose I’m still a bit terrified of losing you.”
Sylvie looked heartsick with concern at the distress in his eyes.
“Loki… I promised you I would always find you, you don’t have to be afraid of losing me.”
With her free hand Sylvie placed a palm over his chest.
“Our hearts are bound—nothing in this universe or any other could keep me from you, min elskede.”
“Hundre hjerter ville være for få til å bære all min kjærlighet for deg…” Loki murmured softly.
Sylvie’s brow knit curiously at him and he smiled faintly.
“A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you.”
Sylvie surged forward to kiss him ardently, the force of her passion knocking them both to the ground. Loki’s hands held her fast against him as he submit to her completely.
“Loki… you impossible git,” Sylvie panted hurriedly between frantic kisses, “how is every inch of my body attuned… to that annoyingly, aggravatingly, insanely seductive voice of yours?”
Chuckling softly between kisses Loki brushed the hair back from her face, “It’s a gift my love, they did have reason to call me Silvertongue.”
“Arghhh I can’t stand how much I want you all the time,” she huffed and began kissing his neck, peppering in love bites to make him gasp.
“Mmmm your insatiability is intoxicating… like raging wildfire—pure chaos,” he growled and flipped her onto the soft moss beneath them.
Sylvie draped her arms over Loki’s shoulders and melted under his attentions.
As ‘Lokis’ they both carried rather high opinions of themselves; yet while Loki had been raised as royalty, Sylvie hadn’t been important to anyone for almost her whole life. For that reason he lavished her with worship and praise at every turn, and Sylvie reveled in the adulation.
“Sylvie… my Sylvie…” he murmured low between open mouthed kisses down her neck.
“Ahh, that wicked mouth of yours,” she purred with a satisfied smirk.
Loki made his way further down to her chest but froze at a rumbling sound in the dark a few yards away.
“Sylvie…?” He whispered curiously against her skin.
“I wasn’t sure if they’d be here during the day… they mostly scavenge in the woods and return to sleep,” Sylvie sighed and glanced over her shoulder.
“And who, pray tell are ‘they’?” he looked at Sylvie with an amused smirk.
“I don’t know what they’re called, but when I was little I thought they looked like yeti so that’s what I called them… I never picked up much of their language.”
“Ah, hence ‘yeti’ moss,” Loki laughed softly, “so I suppose I shouldn’t make love to you in the middle of their den…”
“I mean, I think their den is really back there,” she pointed off into the darkness, “but it’s probably best to refrain with them actually being here and all.”
Loki sighed dramatically and adjusted himself for comfort’s sake causing Sylvie to stifle a laugh.
“Well, seeing as they are here, we should probably keep moving. They were always relatively gentle with me in my youth but I don’t know how they’d take to two adults fornicating on their doorstep.”
“Best not risk it,” Loki climbed off of Sylvie and tried to offer his hand to her but lost his footing and stumbled slightly.
Sylvie got up rather easily and braced her feet in a wider stance to avoid the same pitfall.
“Come on, grab a vine—I find the darker green ones offer stronger support.”
She jumped to grab onto a dark vine overhead and began climbing up to the surface above.
Loki watched slightly agape then sighed and dusted himself off. He took hold of another vine which looked to be a similar color and began climbing.
When he reached the surface Loki blinked at the light and took Sylvie’s outstretched hand. She helped to pull him up where he flopped onto the ground breathing heavily.
“For someone with such a toned physique you aren’t in terribly good shape are you?” She teased with a smirk.
Loki glared at her, “I’m a prince, I don’t spend a lot of time climbing trees in my spare time.”
“Clearly,” she chuckled but held both hands out and pulled him up to his feet easily.
Loki heaved a tired exhale at the exertion but attempted to look a little better recovered. She took his hand with a smile and tugged him along behind her as she started walking again.
“Are we off in search of an empty nest?” He asked hopefully.
“Afraid not, but there’s a beautiful view nearby I want to show you.”
They walked casually, pointing out interesting plants to one another and kissing against trees periodically. Eventually they reached a small hill which led up to a rocky cliff side.
Sylvie climbed onto a large boulder and took a seat looking out over a wooded valley. Loki joined her and was in awe of the sight before him: As far as the eye could see the trees grew in varying heights. Some stretched far higher into the air with flocks of unusual birds in their branches.
Loki was speechless as a large creature leapt for one of the birds and the flocks scattered into the air in a sea of squawking green and purple feathers. He watched completely fascinated and suddenly noticed there were more of the large creatures climbing in the trees, disguised by their mossy green fur.
“The ‘yeti’ I presume…” Loki said softly as he gestured vaguely in their direction.
Sylvie nodded but her eyes looked rather faraway. He took her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze which she returned.
“My love… you’ve been distracted since we first arrived, what is troubling you?”
Sylvie’s gaze flicked down to the boulder they sat on.
“I’ve never lived without a purpose… something to fight, it’s a little…”
“Disheartening?” He added in understanding and she nodded, “I am familiar with the feeling…”
“How did you overcome it?”
“Not sure I ever really did… I just found new things to believe in. Meeting you certainly altered my perspective. I think I spent so long trying to prove to everyone that I was every bit the king I was born to be because I thought that was what my father wanted. Thor and I labored so long under the pretense of earning his approval, I actually convinced myself that was what I wanted.”
“And now…?”
“Now?” He sighed, “now I’m taking things one moment at a time. Trying to enjoy what is in front of me, because I know firsthand how easily it can all be taken away—as do you.”
Sylvie nodded, “but shouldn’t we be doing more?”
“Like what?”
“Well…” she looked conflicted for a moment then turned to him, “we need to help Steve Rogers…”
“I wasn’t aware he was in danger…?” Loki tilted his head curiously to the side.
“Not danger… but he isn’t happy. He was, in essence stolen from his time, like me—but he never left. Frozen in ice, and lost to his home.”
A forlorn look clouded her expression at the thought.
“There was someone he loved, a woman—she lost him…” Sylvie looked up at him sadly, “I know what that feels like.”
Loki’s heart broke for her and he lifted her hand to kiss tenderly.
“I understand… and you wish to remedy this?”
Sylvie nodded with a small smile, “I’m certain Strange will be displeased, but he can bloody well piss off. Steve gave us the benefit of the doubt and I believe we owe him a debt for that.”
Loki huffed a small laugh and shook his head in amazement.
“The strength of your heart leaves me in awe, I am sometimes baffled to think we could ever be the same person…”
“You have a good heart, Loki,” she whispered softly and he ducked his head slightly to avoid her knowing gaze.
“Mine is only guided by yours… following the incandescent light you cast. Without it I might simply slip back into darkness.”
The set of Sylvie’s jaw tightened and she tipped her head to catch his eye sternly.
“You give yourself far too little credit. I had built a wall around my heart, and it was your hopelessly sentimental foolishness which softened it.”
A flicker of hope appeared in Loki’s eyes and he stared at her adoringly.
“You, Loki Laufeyson, are a remarkably, impossibly, resilient person, and your ability to love after all the pain you’ve suffered is proof enough of your heart.”
Sylvie’s eyes were sharp and their conviction warned him not to argue.
“Now, I believe our best course of action when we return to Earth will be to collect Steve and take him back where he belongs first thing. I made a promise to him and I’d hate for Strange to show up and make me break it.”
Loki considered this and nodded in agreement.
“Well reasoned, it would be rather tiresome to have that flimsy, arrogant ‘sorcerer’ meddle any further in our affairs.”
Sylvie smiled fondly and leaned in to kiss him gently before resting her forehead against his.
“So we’re agreed: when we revisit Earth, the soldier will finally return home.”