Between The Free Fall and Your Arms
Upon reaching their room Sylvie ardently surged into Loki’s arms to kiss him breathless. Her arms tightened around his neck and she allowed her body to go almost boneless in his strong embrace.
Their kisses became more hurried and breathing grew heavier. Sylvie divested Loki of his jacket and ran her hands over the smooth gray material of his vest. She unbuttoned it a little frantically and Loki panted above her, hands sliding all over the soft navy blue silk of her dress.
Something about their evening spent dancing, the way Loki had taken such attentive care of her had unlocked something within Sylvie.
Another layer of trust perhaps, something she didn’t even know lay beneath it, and she had the strange urge to follow the sensation.
“Ah, Loki,” she gasped softly as things grew even more heated, “tonight I want to try something… giving up some of my control… to trust…”
Loki could hardly believe his ears and felt even more emboldened by her words as he tore at her dress.
When they finally had each other freed from clothing they met in whirlwind of lust and affection. Sylvie allowed herself to let go of the hyper vigilance for the night. The constant need to protect herself and fight which had made trust so elusive.
It was like when he’d dipped her in his arms, the free fall and the security of knowing Loki would be there to catch her.
Afterwards as they lay breathing heavily in each other’s arms Sylvie caressed Loki’s chest beneath her as he stroked her back absently.
Eventually Sylvie couldn’t help but fixate on the emerald staring back at her from her ring finger.
She didn’t know if Loki had been trying to send her some kind of signal or was merely playing dress up. Her mind raced with possibilities and she couldn’t help feeling unmoored by the not knowing.
“Loki… I want to know what this means…” Sylvie murmured softly as she adjusted the ring slightly on her finger.
He looked down at her and saw the way she fiddled with the jewel. A sense of uncertainty and concern nagged at his heart. He didn’t know what she wanted from him, she’d seemed pleased when he’d first conjured it, but perhaps it was merely the excitement.
“It means… whatever you want it to mean,” Loki said vaguely.
Sylvie sighed and gave him a slightly annoyed look, “You’ll have to do better than that, min elskede. I know you conjured it under the pretense of make believe, but I also know there’s more to it than that… I don’t need you to pretend it means something it doesn’t, I just want the truth.”
Loki worried his lip unsure how to express what he felt.
“It was… I wasn’t thinking…” he supplied lamely.
“So it was an accident—meaningless mischief?” Sylvie sounded wounded by the idea which had been nagging at her.
“No—never… nothing is ever meaningless with you,” he paused feeling like an idiot and exhaling heavily, “I really am just making a terrible mess of this—”
“Loki,” she said calmly to ground him, “it isn’t a trick question, just tell me…”
Taking a deep breath he moved up to his elbows to try again, “I just wanted—I wanted you to be happy. And I wanted to make you smile, and I know this was just a bit of fun, but seeing that ring on your finger… it did something to me. Made something in my heart shift, and now… I feel even more bonded to you…”
Sylvie stared at him feeling terrified and overwhelmed and touched all at once.
“I guess what I am trying, and rather spectacularly failing to express, is that I would really like for you to keep it… I don’t care how, or where… I’ll transform it into a dagger if you like, I just want you to keep this token of my affection, because I love you, and I want you to carry a physical representation of that… if that’s what you want?”
“Loki… I love it, and I would love to keep it… it did something to me too… but, I honestly never thought marriage was something I would ever want. It seemed silly and impossible before I met you. The concept of promising your life and freedom away to another person felt inferior and pedestrian…” she hesitated for a moment to take a steadying breath.
”But since falling in love with you, I find myself re-examining everything I thought I wanted, or didn’t want. It’s a lot to process… and I don’t know what I’ll want down the road—but right now all I know is, I just want to be with you…”
Loki smiled in understanding and relief, “How do you know my heart better than I do?”
His voice was reverent as he caressed her cheek, “That’s all I want, too… just to know we share one heart—to hell with labels and ritual. We’ll figure out the rest when the time comes… and we’ll do it together,” he took her hand and kissed the knuckles tenderly, “Lokis aren’t exactly known to be the marrying kind…”
Sylvie huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes.
“Stands to reason a Sylvie wouldn’t be either,” he said softly.
Sylvie’s heart ached with affection for him at the way he made such an effort to support her individuality.
“Not yet, but maybe one day…” she smiled softly with a glimmer of optimism shining in her eyes. She looked away self consciously and cleared her throat. “Besides, it’s a bit impractical should I need to fight.”
Loki chuckled at that, “would you prefer something more practical, then?”
“Well, I really do like the ring… and I want to remember this night,” Sylvie thought for a moment before lighting up, “a chain—make me a chain.”
Loki was confused for a second as to whether she wanted the ring transformed into a chain, then he caught on and grinned. He conjured a delicate gold Figaro chain which he held out to her.
Sylvie reluctantly removed the ring from her finger and sat up to slip it onto the chain before putting it on.
“Let me…” Loki stilled her hand, and took the clasps so that he might put it on her himself.
Another soft flush tinging her cheeks Sylvie moved her hair out of the way so he might more easily clasp the necklace in place.
When he was done his hand traced the chain softly down to where it fell between her breasts and the ring lay just over her heart.
“It’s perfect,” Sylvie said breathlessly.
“You’re perfect…” he murmured absently, seemingly without even thinking.
Sylvie kissed him soundly then, her chest tightening with unbridled love for this wonderfully ridiculous man.
When they slowed to gentle tender kisses, Sylvie hummed and took Loki’s left hand in hers.
“What will you do with yours?” Sylvie asked softly as she traced a finger over his gold band.
“Mm, hadn’t decided yet… what do you reckon? Perhaps turn it into a dog tag? Have it read: ‘If lost please return to Sylvie of Asgard’?”
Sylvie shook her head as she smirked and gave him a gentle shove.
“No I’ll probably wear it in my heart…” he said softly.
“Then let me first imbue it with a trace of my magic,” Sylvie looked at him, “I don’t know exactly how… but I want it to have a piece me.”
Loki’s brow drew together with overwhelming affection and he nodded as he slipped it from his finger to hand to her.
“Hold it in your palm, focus your energy, and just release a little—imagine what you want to accomplish in your mind’s eye and make it so… you’re so much more powerful than you give yourself credit for, my love.”
Sylvie took the ring and smiled a little uncertainly, then closed her eyes and concentrated. Releasing a small burst of energy she squeezed her hand tightly and thought only of what she wanted to accomplish and what she wanted it to mean.
Opening her eyes slowly Sylvie unfurled her fingers and felt a shaky thrill of joy to see it had worked. The ring was no longer a solid gold band but was now inlaid with a deep blackish green compressed carbon. The gold lines which cut through the black formed a simple geometric pattern much like that found on Asgardian armor.
Loki’s breath caught at the sight—he’d never been much for jewelry, but this ring seemed tailor made to his taste and he felt completely unprepared.
“Do you like it…?” Sylvie asked nervously.
“I-I… I’m speechless—Sylvie, it’s better than I could have possibly dreamt up… I love it.”
Sylvie beamed and handed it to him. Loki accepted it graciously and looked at it for a moment.
“I think I’ll wear it on the other hand for now… I’m not done admiring it yet,” he said shyly as he slipped it onto the middle finger of his right hand, “Thank you, my love, for the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me.”
Sylvie blushed and took his hand, sweetly pressing a tender kiss to his knuckles just above where the ring now lay.
It didn’t take long for them to both get drowsy so Loki used his magic to turn down the sheets and pulled Sylvie up to the pillows with him. Loki covered them with the blankets and smiled fondly at Sylvie as she burrowed in close to him sleepily.
“Sleep well my love,” Loki murmured softly into her hair.
“Mmrm, nigh’…” Sylvie mumbled and drifted off almost instantly.