Chapter 10
Sylvie was walking from Frigga’s quarters drying her hair with a towel but dropped it when she saw him. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak but managed only a shy smile as she raised a hand to wave.
Loki inhaled a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and ran to meet her. Sylvie gasped in relief and smiled openly as she rushed to meet him.
Loki took her in his arms, one hand cupping her cheek gently as he leaned down to kiss her passionately. He poured everything he wanted to say into his kiss, the pain, the hurt, the understanding, and the undeniable love that burned in his heart.
Sylvie melted in his arms, tired of being strong, of being careful, and tired of pretending she didn’t need this. Didn’t need him. She clung to him and sighed into his kiss, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
Loki eased the pressure to let them both breathe, lips parted as the air passed between them.
“I found you,”she whispered into his lips.
Loki panted a soft laugh against her lips, “You found me.”
Sylvie gave him another brief kiss before pulling back to look at his face.
There were tears in his eyes and she brought a hand up to wipe them gently. Loki smiled at her lovingly and took her hand to press a grateful kiss against it.
“I’m sorry,” Sylvie whispered, “I had to,” she said brokenly.
Loki shook his head tightly, “later, all I care about now is you, here, in my arms.”
Sylvie nodded gratefully and pulled him close to wrap in her embrace. Loki exhaled deeply and rested his head against the top of hers softly.
Loki had almost begun to think he’d imagined when she said she would find him. The emotional chaos had built up to that dramatic moment and when she’d kissed him it felt like resolution.
Sylvie pushing him through the portal had felt like ripping everything away and those murmured words seemed like a fantasy conjured by his mind to cope. But it was real. She was real. This moment was a waking dream and he wanted to memorize every second of it.
Sylvie was flooded with relief, not just at finding him, but that he still cared for her and held no ill will for what she had done. She knew it must have hurt him, she had seen the pain in his eyes as he plead for her to stop. It spoke to how Loki had grown that he could put that aside for her, and just how deeply he cared.
She breathed in the smell of him flooded with sense memory of Asgard from childhood. It added to the feeling of coming home as she buried her face in his chest. Sylvie inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly as she allowed herself to fully enjoy this comfort.
They heard a soft throat clearing sound and parted slowly, both blushing as Frigga smiled at them knowingly.
“I am happy to see that indeed the correct two individuals who sought one another have met,” she teased in good humor.
“I also find it curious that my son failed to mention the more, how shall I say? Unorthodox… nature of this relationship?”
Loki bit his tongue and looked a little guilty as Sylvie looked down at her hands fidgeting.
“Oh don’t fret you two, now come you both need to eat something,” she said kindly and they followed her obediently.
Sylvie made a face at Loki indicating at Frigga from behind as if to say ‘you didn’t tell her?’
Loki looked confused then shook his head slightly chagrined. Sylvie rolled her eyes and gave him a nudge as they walked beside each other.
Frigga led them to a private dining terrace and had one of her hand maids go to fetch some food from the kitchens.
“Now, you two make yourselves comfortable, I have delayed my meeting long enough,” she ushered them to sit.
“Of course, mother, please don’t allow us to delay you further, you have been too kind already,” he smiled at her gratefully.
“My boy,” she murmured fondly, “it is good to see you so at peace,” she looked at him seeing so much beyond the surface.
Loki flushed and looked down, a small smile gracing his lips as he looked back up humbly.
“I will see you both in a few hours. Please, eat, relax… you have much to discuss,” she said knowingly and took her leave of them.