Gapstow Bridge
Sylvie savored the kiss as the elevator descended but pulled back when it seemed to have missed there stop. Glancing over in confusion she noticed that the button for the ground floor was illuminated.
“Another detour…?” She asked sounding slightly concerned they might have once again been elevator-napped.
“Mm, I want to take you somewhere,” Loki kissed her cheek sweetly and took her hand as the lift slowed.
“Someplace private…?” Sylvie raised a brow flirtatiously.
Loki laughed warmly and stopped in his tracks for a moment as his gaze heated.
“Sadly not, but I could be persuaded…”
Sylvie shook her head with an amused smile and pushed his arm to make him continue walking.
Loki squeezed her hand affectionately and they headed out to the street where he lead her to the Central Park entrance on 5th and 69th St.
“Central Park?” Sylvie asked curiously.
“Have you been?” Loki smiled at her.
“Never while it’s still been green,” she said softly.
Loki felt that familiar clench in his heart and pulled her a little closer as they walked through the park.
Sylvie looked in awe of all the trees and flower beds while Loki simply watched her. Her eyes lit up as a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly drifted past her and fluttered down to land in a bed of white and yellow daffodils.
“Do you like flowers?” Loki asked idly.
“I do…” Sylvie said faintly, “but I never got to spend much time anywhere that they grew naturally.”
Loki slowed to pull her close as he brushed a stray curl from her face. He studied her features affectionately as she looked up at him with an easy smirk.
“Have you had any more thought on where we should go next tomorrow?” He asked quietly.
“Not really—until we came here… this reminds me of one of the few planets I used to visit which was green.”
“Is that where’d you like to go?”
“I think I might, the trees there are unlike any I’ve ever seen…”
Loki smiled and his eyes crinkled with affection, “Then tomorrow that’s where we’ll go.”
Sylvie returned his smile softly and tipped her head up as he leaned down to kiss her gently. She sighed as every sense was filled with only pleasant things she knew she would never forget.
Her ears heard only birds chirping and kids playing somewhere in the distance. She smelled the trees and flowers mingled with the addictive scent of the man she loved. But most importantly, she felt only safe as Loki held her close and kissed her deeply.
When Loki slowly parted their lips his breath ghosted softly against her skin.
“Come on,” he whispered, “if we stay like this too long I’m certain to forget myself.”
Sylvie hummed happily and gave him one last brief kiss before taking his hand again as they continued walking.
They admired the nature around them, walking at a leisurely pace and stealing kisses as they went.
“I didn’t think you cared much for walking,” Sylvie teased as they went.
“It’s not so bad when it’s with you,” Loki quirked a smile at her and shrugged.
Sylvie rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless.
They eventually came to an old stone bridge and Sylvie stopped halfway over it to look down into the water below. Loki stood beside her, one hand on the bridge and the other gently brushing the small of her back.
“Sylvie I…” Loki hesitated unsure how to voice what he was feeling.
“Hmm?” Sylvie slowly straightened up to look at him.
“I just… I wanted to say, that, well you know you’ve changed me, so much… and well I just wanted to say… thank you. I wouldn’t be who I am today without you—”
He looked utterly besotted with her as she looked up at him fondly.
“You know that I am yours—completely—and I want to make a promise to you, Sylvie. That I will always be there for you when you need me, I will never put my needs before yours. I spent my whole life taking care of only myself, but I want to spend the rest of it taking care of you.”
Sylvie’s eyes almost teared but she sniffed and fought not to let them well up.
“You know that’s technically still kind of the same thing right?” She joked to ease the tightness in her chest.
Loki smiled and chuckled softly, “Perhaps to some people… but I know for certain now that it’s different. For once when I’m afraid, it isn’t for my own safety. When I want something it isn’t just for my own gratification. I finally know the difference between loving and possessing. And it’s given me a strength and purpose I never knew.”
Sylvie couldn’t help the tear that escaped one eye as she pressed her lips together firmly with emotion. She shook her head softly in amazement and blinked away the moisture in her eyes.
“I used to think I’d never be the girl I was on Asgard ever again. That I could only ever be the battle hardened person I became in order to complete my mission—but I never considered who I could be after it was over… and I certainly never thought I could find my way back to trust… or to love.”
She smiled softly at him as Loki wiped a tear from her cheek tenderly.
“But I promise for all my hardness and hurt, to try. Not to run, even when it feels easier. I love you, Loki… and I never want to run from you again.”
Loki’s eyes shined wetly as he smiled at her. His throat felt tight with emotion and he wasn’t sure any sound would even come out if he tried to speak. He cupped her neck, thumbs brushing softly against her jaw as his eyes searched hers. The love in his chest was so overwhelming it almost bordered on pain.
“Even if you run, I’ll run with you,” he croaked weakly, “till the end of time and beyond, my love.”
Sylvie dragged him down to kiss her roughly then. Her hands clawed at his shoulders as she pressed her body into him desperately.
Loki moaned softly and brought one hand down to support her lower back. He rested the other on the rough stone bridge as he backed her into it gently.
Sylvie arched her back and gasped as he held her there, kissing her passionately, completely unconcerned with anyone who might see them.
Eventually Sylvie drew back slowly to catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell shallowly against his and she caressed his cheek gently.
“We should get back…” he whispered breathlessly.
“Mmm, tired of the park already?” Sylvie teased softly.
Loki smirked, his hooded eyes glancing past her at their surroundings briefly, “I’d rather forgotten about the park actually…”
Sylvie chuckled quietly, her chest shaking against his and making Loki grin warmly. There were few sounds he enjoyed more than her laughter, made all the more precious for how rarely she let anyone hear it.
“I often lose track of where I am with you…” he said softly.
Sylvie grinned smugly feeling further validated by just how addicted to her he was.
“Then let’s get you back before you start undressing me in public, an arrest for indecent exposure would be a terrible follow up to the last time you got into trouble in New York.”
Loki’s chest rumbled as he chuckled at that, eyes crinkling with affection. She was relentless in her teasing, and he absolutely loved it.
They walked back to Avengers HQ leisurely, enjoying the warm afternoon. There was an unburdened sense of giddiness to them as they meandered back hand in hand.
Back in the elevator Sylvie noticed a text had come in from Natasha. She opened the message while Loki stepped behind her to read over her shoulder once he’d pressed the button for their floor. His arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed her ear briefly, his intention to read the text easily forgotten.
Sylvie sighed softly as he kissed her neck then turned her head to capture his lips briefly.
“Looks like Stark has rented a private venue this time…” she murmured.
“Mm, is it far?” Loki nudged her nose affectionately and she checked her phone again.
“I don’t think so, Natasha says we can go with her if we like?”
“How kind,” Loki said absently as he buried his nose against her neck.
“I’ll tell her yes, then,” Sylvie said sounding a little breathless.
“How long do we have?” He murmured low and suggestive against her skin.
“Ah, she says…” Sylvie tried to focus on the screen while he brushed lips over the skin below her ear and the elevator slowed.
“Uh, ah, it’s at seven… and Tasha says… to be ready at… uh, six thirty…” Sylvie gasped then turned to pull him out of the elevator with her.
“So that means we have…” she looked back at the time on the phone, “a little under two hours…”
“Mmm perfect,” Loki purred and followed her as she lead them down the hall to their room.