The Blue Rose 'Chapter 7
Thor stood in front on the window, basking in the warm sunlight. His sapphire eyes shone like crystals in the sun, and he stretched, loving the luke-warm feeling on his skin. He loved staying under sunlight; the warmth gave him energy. He always loved waking up to a cheerful, sunny day.
He turned back to the bed, where Loki lay sound asleep. The sunlight was falling on his face, gently caressing the icy azure skin. Apparently Loki didn't seem to enjoy; his face was scrunched up in disgust, the light too bright for a peaceful sleep. Thor gave a small smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling. He gently pulled back the curtains, and dimness swallowed up the whole room…
He sighed, stepping under the hot showers, letting the heat of the water absorb away all the stiffness in his joints. It's not that he was disappointed with Loki. Well, bodily pleasures were not everything, right? And one day, Loki would yield. He would want, and Thor would give it to him. He didn't want to hurry. After all this was not some wanton whore, this was his husband, his mate, who was going to stay with him for eternity.
He would wait.
But, there was something else bothering Thor. He pulled back his hair, letting the water meet his face directly. He wished that Loki said something; talked to him. Why was he not talking? Did he really detest this marriage so much? Was Asgard such a bad place that he didn't want to grace it with his voice? Was Thor not good enough for him?
Loki woke up with the chambermaid knocking at his door. It was late in the hour, the sun almost half way up the sky. The maid informed him that the Queen had summoned him after he got dressed for the day.
Loki stepped into the bathing chambers, awed with the crystalline furnishings and elegancy. Asgard was truly made of gold! He stripped away, facing the giant mirrors that covered an entire wall. His reflection stared back, a slender, frail man, with silver-blue skin, ruby eyes and wild hair. Woah! His hair had really gotten messy, going awry in all directions. He let his head fall back, scrutinizing his hair from a different angle. Then his eyes landed on his neck, and he remembered. How Thor had kissed there last night, devouring the skin as if it were some oasis in the middle of nowhere, and Thor was a thirsty traveler, wandering for years. Loki traced the path Thor's lips had taken, with his fingers, as if he could still feel the hot, tingling sensation from before. And his lips, how Thor's lips were on his, sending sparks down his body. He blushed; this was something new.
Well, he had read stories of people uniting, and the felt himself in the protagonist's shoes many a times. But experiencing this directly? That was entirely a new thing. He closed his eyes, hand falling away.
He heaved another sigh when he opened his again. He suddenly realized that he hadn't spoken, for almost a day now. Well, what was there to talk of? He just- didn't feel like saying anything; his gestures were enough to express all that he wanted to. He didn't want to talk; talking somehow meant surrendering the solitude. Like, he was giving himself away, putting his guard down. He just couldn't do it. He had found no one to share his voice with.
His father had always called him silvertongue, his voice moving faster than quicksilver. He could always counter every question pointed at him, he had witty answers for everything. And yet, here he stood, silencing his voice for a whole day.
He gave himself an empathic smile.
The Queen wanted to show Loki the great palace of Asgard, with a firsthand tour herself. Thankfully, she didn't ask Loki anything about the whole let-Thor-touch-you thing, and Loki hoped that she didn't query about it in the future as well. Talk about a whole new level of embarrassment.
The Queen showed him around the palace, the beautiful gardens, the elephantine pillars, the lengthy corridors, the banquet halls, the All-Father's throne room; all the while giving a short note on the history of the place, Thor's cherished memories. She told him about the fits he had in his boyhood days, Loki gently smiling at the innocence of his husband. Well, he hoped he didn't have to use it anytime, but he gladly accepted all the blackmail material the Queen was "accidently" passing to him.
"But you would not let Thor ever know why you know all this, right, Loki?" She asked, a mischievous smile on her face. Loki nodded eagerly, the same smile on his face, covered with a layer of mock innocence.
They moved onto the courtyard.
"This is where the Warriors practice." The Queen informed. Loki nodded and looked around. Among the weapons and rings, his eyes caught the shining blonde hair, reflecting the sunlight, as Thor wrestled against another sturdy man. Oh, so here they were; Thor and his friends. Loki hadn't seen him all morning, and seeing him like this- well this was just perplexing. Thor moved with a hunter's grace, his muscles flexing as he dragged a man almost double his size and threw him down on the ground with a growl. He stood in the sunlight, dust flying everywhere, body gleaming with sweat, which flowed down his bare back in beads. Even though he had his back turned to Loki, the Jotun prince could easily picture the victorious smile that must have been dominating Thor's face at the moment. He didn't even realize when did the queen's voice fade out, and his mind started hearing Thor's heavy breathing, as he saw his body rise and fall. He stood there, eyes glued to his husband, oblivious of the Queen and her maids looking at him.
Thor laughed out, feeling adrenaline send a current in his veins. Wrestling with Leik had always been his favorite, after all, Leik was almost twice his size. He stood straight, popping his joints, rubbing the stiffness out of his muscles. He turned to the Warriors, victory painting a gorgeous smile on his face.
"Well done, Thor!" Fandral exclaimed. "Of course you must be tired, or else I'd have showed you a few moves myself. You know you cannot defeat me," he said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Actually," Thor smirked, "I don't feel tired at all. What do you say, Fandral? Lets have a round?"
"Ah, no. My muscles are sore from all the celebrating from yesterday. You know, dancing and courting…among other things?" Fandral asked in a small voice.
"Fandral!" Volstagg interrupted. "This is, by far, the lamest excuse you ever presented."
"Mind you, Volstagg." Fandral warned.
"Yeah, right." Hogun slapped his back, sarcasm dripping from his gestures. Fandral simply opened his mouth and closed it again, searching for a proper comeback, but finding none.
Thor combed his hair back, rolling his shoulders. That's when he caught Loki looking him from the corner of his eyes. Oh? How long had he been standing there?
He's still looking at me? Thor thought, amused. He straightened up, and stretched, giving a very vivid display of his body. He flexed his muscles just a little more, slowly, putting out the best show he could. He combed his hand through his sweaty hair, and tied them back in a small bun. He then took a container of water, and emptied it over his body, the cold water washing away the dirt and sweat.
Loki's eyes followed the water, moving down in rivulets down the chiseled body. He swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Loki, son? Do you want to see the stables?" Frigga asked, barely able to contain her smile. Loki's attention snapped back to the Queen, and he flushed, knowing that she had caught him red-handed. What in the name of Jotunheim was he doing?! He had been openly staring at Thor, and in front of the Queen of all people!
A few of the maids giggled as bowed his head as low as he could, heat creeping up his face. The Queen moved on, smiling when she turned her face away from Loki. The young prince followed him, continuing his tour.
"That's enough Thor, he's gone now." Lady Sif said.
"What?" Thor asked, "I know not what you're saying, Lady." He plainly lied, even though his eyes found the empty spot where Loki had been previously standing. He felt disappointed.
"Um, the Queen caught him ogling at you, and they walked away." Hogun said, face twisted in amusement.
"Don't worry friend, that was an outstanding show you put up," Fandral commented, barely containing his laugh. "I'm damn sure he's impressed already."
"I don't understand." Thor simply stated, even though his eye crinkled with happiness, as he turned away from his friends.
"Yeaaah. Right." Volstagg expressed his sarcasm.
"Thor, you know this is important." Frigga said a few weeks later. She had known by the look on Loki's face when he was looking at Thor, that they had not slept together. "Why do you think I'm telling you about this again?"
"I know Father has asked you to have a discussion with me, has he not?" Thor asked. But Frigga didn't answer him yet.
"It's already been more than a few days since your marriage. Why haven't you touched him yet?" She asked, wondering what was wrong. She had found them staring at each other many a times; at the dinner table, at the courtyard that morning, in fact, whenever they were in the same room! Stealing so many small glances here and there! She thought she had seen attraction in their eyes…then why had they not laid together?
"He needs time to adjust." Thor answered.
"But he knew about the tradition. You knew about it." Frigga stated. She didn't want to force her children for anything, but she was surprised that Thor could break such a sacred custom.
"Yes." Thor said.
"Well, I know I don't have to ask of you again. But your father really wants to hold his grandchild in his arms. And you know that as well." Thor was aware that Loki could breed.
He looked at his mother, and standing so close, he could almost see the unseen lines of aging on her beautiful face. The worry and pressure in her eyes.
"I know you would take care of Loki. Be gentle with him, Thor." She said, turning to the balcony, hoping that Thor would understand.
"Yes, mother." Thor promised, looking at the sky with his mother.
Loki stood behind the pillar, on the other side of the room, the conversation ringing in his ears. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop. He had simply wandered into the room, thinking it was empty. Of course the guards didn't stop him.
But, if Thor had really been pressurized so much, why hadn't he done anything yet? Was he really holding away because of Loki? Against the wishes of the Queen? -the All-Father? -Against the traditions of Asgard? Just because Loki wasn't ready?
Well, that was a lot Thor had done for him. A lot the royal family had done for him.
It was time to pay back some of the debt and express his gratitude, he thought, sneaking away as quietly as he could. He had made up his mind…
Thor stepped into his room, pinching the skin between his eyes. A small headache had started to develop over his right temple. What his mother had said, was necessary. But how could he force Loki into mating, when Loki didn't even talk to him?
During daytime Thor was busy in the court, sparring in his leisure, wrestling, and other such activities. And when he retired for the night, Loki would be awaiting in their room. They spend the first few nights in compatible silence. But recently, Thor started small conversations now and then (and by conversations, he meant that he talked, and Loki listened, nodding here and there). He talked about Asgard, and his family, his friends. The adventures of the day, his Mjolnir, witty experiences with the Warriors. But that was all. And then they retreated to sleep.
He sighed. This was getting complex.
He walked towards their bed, but stopped when he saw Loki standing by the window. He was wearing the same white robe he had worn on their first night together.
"Loki?"
Loki took a deep breath, and turned to his husband. He was feeling much more confident this time. And he would bear the pain. He knew he could do it. He knew he was doing it for Thor, for Frigga, for the All-Father, and Asgard. For his own father, and Jotunheim.
And besides, Thor would take care of him, right?
He gave a small nod.
"What? What is this, Loki?" Thor asked, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing. He walked closer, just a few steps away from the Jotun prince now. Was Loki really expressing what Thor thought he was expressing?
Loki looked at him with confirmation in his eyes.
"Ah-are you sure?" Thor asked him, not sure himself.
Loki's face smoothed out, and he gave a final nod of confirmation.
Thor walked even closer to him, so close, that Loki could feel the heat from his body on his skin. Thor gently cupped Loki's face with both of his hands, azure eyes peering into the rubies. Thor was still not sure. But Loki smiled, and covered the small gap between both of them, kissing Thor.
A/N- Because evil cliff hangers are evil...