For the Love of a Princess -- Final Chapter
And so, this is the final chapter of my first Lokane fic. I hope you've enjoyed :)
Five
A day passes before they see each other again. She knows that most of the time Loki and Odin have been closeted together (with Thor present to keep them from killing each other), but she feels adrift again. And afraid. She wonders if something so fragile can be sustained, especially since she still is not certain how he feels. Then she remembers the touch of his hand, the strength of his grip, and feels a little comforted.
But much depends on Odin and whatever they are saying to each other now will be only the beginning. At least, she hopes it will be a beginning.
She trails a hand along a column as she walks around it, the marble cool beneath her fingertips, and that is when she sees him. His hair has been combed and cut, and he is wearing a simple tunic of emerald green. He steps out of the shadows and looks at her.
“I have been looking for you,” he says at last.
She raises her chin. “You found me.”
The ghost of a smile flickers across his lips. “Will you walk with me?”
She nods and follows him to a corner of the gallery that looks out onto the city. He paces, avoiding her gaze, and it occurs to her that she is not the only one afraid of this moment. She stretches out her arm, fingers brushing the soft material of his sleeve. He jerks to a stop inches from her and she reaches up to touch his hair, rubbing it softly between her fingers. The haircut suits him, she thinks. Loki closes his eyes, dipping his head to rest in the palm of her hand. He sighs, his breath warm on her skin, and she rubs her thumb over his lips. Perhaps we’re not so hopeless.
“What did Odin say?” she asks at length.
His breathing stills. “Much.”
“Loki.”
He doesn’t answer and she says nothing, waiting. “It is-something,” he answers finally. “If it weren’t for Thor- Neither of us can make promises yet.”
She nods once, fingers trailing down his face. He shivers.
“Jane.”
His voice is hoarse and she drops her hand feeling cold. “Yes?”
Loki brings out the purse she had given him. “Did Thor tell you what was inside?”
She shakes her head. “No. He wanted you to show me.”
“Did he?” This time she is sure Loki smiles though his hands are shaking as he unties the drawstring and tips the contents into his palm: a ring of woven gold with a ribbon of emeralds running through it. “It belonged to Mother,” he says. “She said it was for the-first of us to marry. Thor had it because-” He stops and swallows hard.
“Because you all thought he would marry me.” Jane sighs and shakes her head. “And-oh. He’s given it to you.” How had Thor known? How had he known before she did?
Loki pulls back his face white. “Unless you do not wish to marry the monster,” he says stiffly.
Jane gives him a look of exasperation. “You still don’t get it, do you? I’m not marrying a monster, I’m marrying you.”
“I am not Thor, Jane Foster. I am not so-good.”
She raises an eyebrow. “I know. But you’re not all bad either. And I’m taking you with all of that.”
He still looks as though he cannot believe her. “Five thousand years is a long time to be married to me, Jane Foster.”
She grins at him. “Bring it.”
Loki laughs, and he seems as surprised as she by the sound. When he reaches for her his touch is hesitant, as though he still can’t believe her, so she closes the distance. His kiss is soft and tastes of cold air and pine, and as she smiles against him a vision dances before her eyes: laughter and tears and spectacular arguments and the chorus of children’s voices.
“Did you-”
“-see it?”
Loki smiles - a true smile - and for an instant she sees the man he once was and might be again, in ages to come. Well, she has time. She has all the time in the world.
He slides the ring on her finger and she is surprised to find that it fits perfectly.
“Well then, Jane Foster.”
“Well then, Loki Odinson.”
And when she is wrapped in his arms, listening to the steady beating of his heart, she knows they have both come home.
~
“Mother was right,” Thor says, stepping away and turning to the All-father.
Odin sighs and Thor can’t help but see how weary he seems. “She was never wrong. I should have listened.”
“You did in the end.”
“Do they know?”
“That Mother knew Jane would save him? No.”
“She said ‘a princess’.”
Thor grins and looks over his shoulder at Jane and Loki. “She is a princess, Father. She needs no crown for that.”
~finis~
Five
A day passes before they see each other again. She knows that most of the time Loki and Odin have been closeted together (with Thor present to keep them from killing each other), but she feels adrift again. And afraid. She wonders if something so fragile can be sustained, especially since she still is not certain how he feels. Then she remembers the touch of his hand, the strength of his grip, and feels a little comforted.
But much depends on Odin and whatever they are saying to each other now will be only the beginning. At least, she hopes it will be a beginning.
She trails a hand along a column as she walks around it, the marble cool beneath her fingertips, and that is when she sees him. His hair has been combed and cut, and he is wearing a simple tunic of emerald green. He steps out of the shadows and looks at her.
“I have been looking for you,” he says at last.
She raises her chin. “You found me.”
The ghost of a smile flickers across his lips. “Will you walk with me?”
She nods and follows him to a corner of the gallery that looks out onto the city. He paces, avoiding her gaze, and it occurs to her that she is not the only one afraid of this moment. She stretches out her arm, fingers brushing the soft material of his sleeve. He jerks to a stop inches from her and she reaches up to touch his hair, rubbing it softly between her fingers. The haircut suits him, she thinks. Loki closes his eyes, dipping his head to rest in the palm of her hand. He sighs, his breath warm on her skin, and she rubs her thumb over his lips. Perhaps we’re not so hopeless.
“What did Odin say?” she asks at length.
His breathing stills. “Much.”
“Loki.”
He doesn’t answer and she says nothing, waiting. “It is-something,” he answers finally. “If it weren’t for Thor- Neither of us can make promises yet.”
She nods once, fingers trailing down his face. He shivers.
“Jane.”
His voice is hoarse and she drops her hand feeling cold. “Yes?”
Loki brings out the purse she had given him. “Did Thor tell you what was inside?”
She shakes her head. “No. He wanted you to show me.”
“Did he?” This time she is sure Loki smiles though his hands are shaking as he unties the drawstring and tips the contents into his palm: a ring of woven gold with a ribbon of emeralds running through it. “It belonged to Mother,” he says. “She said it was for the-first of us to marry. Thor had it because-” He stops and swallows hard.
“Because you all thought he would marry me.” Jane sighs and shakes her head. “And-oh. He’s given it to you.” How had Thor known? How had he known before she did?
Loki pulls back his face white. “Unless you do not wish to marry the monster,” he says stiffly.
Jane gives him a look of exasperation. “You still don’t get it, do you? I’m not marrying a monster, I’m marrying you.”
“I am not Thor, Jane Foster. I am not so-good.”
She raises an eyebrow. “I know. But you’re not all bad either. And I’m taking you with all of that.”
He still looks as though he cannot believe her. “Five thousand years is a long time to be married to me, Jane Foster.”
She grins at him. “Bring it.”
Loki laughs, and he seems as surprised as she by the sound. When he reaches for her his touch is hesitant, as though he still can’t believe her, so she closes the distance. His kiss is soft and tastes of cold air and pine, and as she smiles against him a vision dances before her eyes: laughter and tears and spectacular arguments and the chorus of children’s voices.
“Did you-”
“-see it?”
Loki smiles - a true smile - and for an instant she sees the man he once was and might be again, in ages to come. Well, she has time. She has all the time in the world.
He slides the ring on her finger and she is surprised to find that it fits perfectly.
“Well then, Jane Foster.”
“Well then, Loki Odinson.”
And when she is wrapped in his arms, listening to the steady beating of his heart, she knows they have both come home.
~
“Mother was right,” Thor says, stepping away and turning to the All-father.
Odin sighs and Thor can’t help but see how weary he seems. “She was never wrong. I should have listened.”
“You did in the end.”
“Do they know?”
“That Mother knew Jane would save him? No.”
“She said ‘a princess’.”
Thor grins and looks over his shoulder at Jane and Loki. “She is a princess, Father. She needs no crown for that.”
~finis~