…Is Only The Beginning
Sylvie made an effort to pay attention to her friend on the journey down to the car, hoping to cool the fervent energy growing between she and Loki. Natasha had ordered a car and they climbed in while she instructed the driver of their two separate destinations.
On the ride to The Plaza Sylvie felt her stomach begin to twist with the sickening realization that she was about to say goodbye.
Sylvie knew it would be hardly any time at all for her, but what about Natasha? Would her friend forget about her? Would Strange go back on his word?
Her jaw tightened until she felt Natasha take her hand. Looking down to where the other woman’s hand clasped hers she felt a small measure of relief and comfort. Sylvie decided she would have to be strong—for Natasha.
At the hotel they all climbed out and when Natasha turned to her on the sidewalk her eyes looked red from fighting tears.
“I’m not going to cry. Because we’ve only known each other a few days. And this is ridiculous. And I don’t have girl friends. And I don’t cry. I don’t.” Natasha said as steadily as she could.
Sylvie’s brow drew together in sympathy as her own eyes welled up.
“No. No, not you. Because if you do, then I will. And that’s not happening. It’s NOT.”
“Tasha… time means nothing…” Sylvie pulled the other woman into an awkward hug. “You don’t have to cry. And I wish I didn’t have to. But you’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister. So bugger all if I’m not gonna cry about it.”
Natasha squeezed her eyes shut, “Okay well you started it—it wasn’t me.”
Sylvie laughed as they both cried in each other’s arms, then Natasha pulled back and took a deep breath. She looked Sylvie over and brushed a tear stuck strand from her face gently.
“A year is nothing—I don’t know what you’re making a fuss about, it won’t even be a year for you.”
Sylvie grinned, “I’ll see you soon, Tasha, remember what I said, and try to be happy, you deserve it.”
Natasha smiled blearily and nodded before looking over to where Loki stood awkwardly waiting. He looked unsure how to navigate the women’s tears and inexplicably on the verge of them himself.
“I don’t want any more tears out of this woman tonight, do you hear me Loki? You go cheer her up,” Natasha pointed at him sternly, somewhat belying the tone with a knowing wink before she turned on her heel and back to the car.
“Yes ma’am,” Loki said with courteous bow and a mischievous wink of his own as she climbed into the backseat.
Natasha smirked at that and looked between the two of them, “I’ll see you soon, and remember—don’t do anything I would do.”
Sylvie grinned even wider, “wouldn’t dream of it, Tasha, not even for a second.”
They watched the car go and Loki slipped his arms around Sylvie’s waist from behind. She exhaled heavily and allowed herself to sink back against his chest as a knot pulled at her heart.
“Not to worry, love… she’s only a portal away,” Loki whispered softly into her hair.
“I know,” she sighed, “but it will be a different ‘her’… and I wish I could be there if she needed me.”
Loki turned her in his arms to meet her eyes sincerely.
“Natasha’s the most capable person I’ve ever met—excepting you of course, my dear”
“But…” Sylvie glanced down, hesitant to even voice the real reason she was upset.
“Sylvie, what is it?” Loki murmured softly and cupped her cheek so she might look up at him.
“She’s human… there’s only so many more years she has left,” her eyes welled, “she could know me her whole life… but at the end she’ll be gone in a heartbeat, a flicker.”
Sylvie fell forward to bury her face in his chest.
“Sylvie,” he hushed her softly and rubbed her back as she cried.
“Love, that is what humans are… even under the best of circumstances, they’re gone in no time at all.”
He stroked her hair gently, “I’ll admit I have never cared for one before as I have begun to of late—and certainly never with the capacity that you do… but try to understand that this impermanence is what makes it special…”
Loki’s tone was sympathetic as he tried to soothe her pain, “Consider each year another snapshot, you will see Natasha’s whole life—a life you fought for, and be a constant for her…and that is not nothing, my love.”
Sylvie sniffed and wiped her eyes before looking up at him, “no, it’s not nothing.”
Loki smiled fondly at her, “Now, can we go inside? I believe we may soon begin to attract unwanted attention if we stay here like this.”
Sylvie laughed at that and nodded as he took her hand firmly in his.
“And I believe Natasha gave me quite clear instruction to cheer you up, so I best see about that—only a fool would disobey the wishes of a deadly Black Widow.”
Inside Loki lead them to the room indicated on the folded card containing their key. Sylvie calmed somewhat on the journey up to the room and seemed rather sleepy by the time they made it there.
“Alright, I’m going to run you a bath.”
Loki headed for the bathroom without waiting for a response.
“Are you saying I need a wash?” Sylvie raised a brow at him half teasing.
“I’m saying you need comfort,” he called from the other room as he started the taps.
Sylvie shrugged, unable to argue with that point as she removed her shoes and sat at the foot of the king size bed.
Loki returned as the bath was filling and knelt down on the floor in front of her. He caressed up her thighs lazily before taking her hands in his.
“It’s just the two of us now, and that’s all I need. Worry about tomorrow when it comes, tonight just be here, with me…”
Sylvie’s heart melted and she nodded softly.
“Just us… that’s enough for me,” she purred.
He smiled and his eyes crinkled with affection at seeing the light in her eyes burn a little brighter.
“Then come with me,” he murmured and stood up, pulling her along gently.
In the bathroom the tub was nearly full and Sylvie was pleased to discover looked rather spacious.
Loki pulled her close and kissed her tenderly, an unhurried meeting of lips as his hands made her clothing disperse beneath his fingers like wisps of smoke.
Sylvie sighed and pressed her naked body against him, tugging at his jacket impatiently and making him chuckle.
“Just a moment, love,” he waved a hand over his body in a fluid motion and his own clothing dissolved.
Sylvie glanced down between them and smirked earning an eye roll from Loki.
“Patience, you wonderfully incorrigible hedonist. Now, get in the water.”
Sylvie tossed her hair with a haughty grin and stepped into the hot water making her gasp. She heard Loki’s breath catch at that and felt a little thrill of excitement.
Looking over her shoulder coyly she knelt down in the bath and sighed. Her eyes closed as the warm water soaked into her muscles.
“May I join you?” he asked softly.
“You better.”
Loki chuckled and climbed into the bath behind her carefully. He sighed and settled comfortably as Sylvie leaned back against him with a relaxed hum of contentment.
She took one of his hands and threaded their fingers together. With the other hand Loki idly poured water from his cupped palm over her chest, then began massaging her shoulder gently.
Sylvie slowly sank even further into his body as all remaining tension eased from her muscles. The warmth of the water combined with the solid comfort of Loki’s chest soothed Sylvie’s nerves and she drifted into a light sleep.
Loki kissed her hair tenderly and listened as her breathing slowed. He tried to match her measured even breaths and felt his own body relax beneath her.
It seemed whenever one of them was anxious or worried, the other could feel it—it was then all the more reassuring to find that one’s calm could soothe the other so easily.
After enjoying the bath a little longer, Loki eventually wanted to stretch out on the bed where his long limbs wouldn’t be so confined.
He moved very slowly to slide from behind her, supporting her back all the while until he could stand and lifted her easily into his arms.
Using his magic to dry them both Loki then carried her gracefully back into the bedroom. He smiled fondly at the sight of her in his arms, remembering the other night when she had drifted off at the first party.
It was a clear sign of how comfortable she felt with him that she could fall asleep so easily without intending to. He flicked his wrist to turn down the bedding and set Sylvie on one side of the bed softly.
Slipping into the other side Loki carefully pulled her close and waved a hand to extinguish all the lights in the room. Sylvie moved easily, coming in and out of consciousness briefly in his arms.
“Mm, how’mIthe one fallin’ sleep ‘n you’re not?” She mumbled sleepily.
“I can alleviate the effects of even Asgardian liquor when I so chose…” Loki laughed softly, “and you my dear, have had a rather emotionally taxing day—perhaps a bit more than you’re used to I’m afraid.”
Sylvie sighed heavily, “‘guess so…” and snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder.
Loki felt his heart clench adoringly at the sight and he placed another gentle kiss to her temple.
“Sleep now my love, and in the morning we shall begin anew, together.”
No sooner had Loki closed his eyes then it seemed sleep had come for him as well. He dreamed of Sylvie, seeing her always just ahead of him but never out of reach.
Running on a beach, splashing him with waves which disappeared and they were running through tall grass.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him through a waterfall and into an alien city before a gust of wind carried them away to a far desert.
Everywhere they went she laughed and smiled, even while running—especially while running.
In no time at all she stopped to say something and everything disappeared.
He blinked his eyes open blearily to find her there lying half on his chest.
Loki smiled and brushed the hair back from her face to watch her sleep softened features as she dreamed. He could tell that Sylvie’s eyes were flicking beneath her lashes and Loki wondered if she was dreaming of him the way he had dreamt of her.
He kissed the top of her head and held her close, allowing himself to relax and close his eyes for a while longer.
When Sylvie stirred a short time later Loki grinned at her feeling ridiculously happy.
“Good morning, love. You look radiant as ever,” he said playfully as she furrowed her brow and blinked at him with bleary confusion.
“Mmm, now you’re awake first too?
“Not by much.”
Loki kissed her forehead and she made a disgruntled sort of noise wanting a real kiss. She huffed and angled her neck in order to bring her lips up to meet his properly.
When she was successful Loki hummed pleasantly and slowly deepened the kiss. He smoothed a hand soothingly over her back and drew her even closer.
They shared unhurried kisses in their cocoon of blankets as the heat from their bodies overwhelmed them. Sylvie climbed slowly onto him and traced lazy patterns over his skin as their bodies joined on impulse alone.
Sylvie took her time setting a steady rhythm and soon had Loki panting softly beneath her. Loki ran reverent fingers over her body and reveled in the hazy fog of pleasure till it culminated in their shared gasps of release.
Loki rolled her gently onto the bed beside him so that he could lean over her. He gazed into her eyes adoringly then kissed her deeply for what felt like a perfect eternity.
As the shared breath between them evened, they both knew it would soon be time to depart.
“My love… I wish we could stay here in this bed all day… yet could I spend it thus in your embrace, I fear I might never have the strength to leave it again,” he murmured softly.
Sylvie hummed in agreement, “I think I only processed about half of what you just said… I got stuck on the words ‘bed’ and ‘all day’…”
Loki’s chest rumbled as he chuckled softly above her and she gave him sleepy smile.
“You also might refrain from words like ‘thus’ first thing in the morning… my brain isn’t awake enough to parse the meaning behind your poetry, min elskede.”
Loki laughed even harder and buried his face in the crook of her shoulder as she grinned with playful satisfaction.
Sylvie sighed as Loki’s laughter faded into lazy kisses along her collarbone.
“Mmm my beloved, if you keep that up we’ll never make it out of here…”
Loki gave her an amused smirk at the choice of words and Sylvie pinched his side playfully making him yelp.
“You know what I mean, though I suppose both meanings are correct in this instance. Now come on, the universe is waiting for us.”
They eventually climbed out of bed and took a quick shower before Loki dressed them for their journey. After a quick pop downstairs for tea and pastries they bought a couple of sandwiches to eat later. They returned to their room for the privacy and Sylvie asked Loki to produce the TemPad he’d acquired from Mobius.
“And you’ve settled on the destination for our journey?”
“Yes. I struggled to think of somewhere not on the brink of collapse, but I believe I have the place.”
Deciding it best to rip the plaster off without second guessing it too much, she entered the details and created an orange portal.
“Well, I’ve enjoyed Midgard greatly,” he smirked at Sylvie lasciviously, “but I am eager to see worlds anew through your eyes.”
Sylvie blushed but rolled her eyes and took his hand.
“Enough pretty words out of you, I don’t want to say anymore goodbyes, this time it’s only the beginning.”
“Then lead the way, my love, I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Loki lifted her hand and kissed it briefly, then followed as she tugged him along, and they stepped through the portal together—ready for whatever new adventure might await them on the other side.