afterglows || loki laufeyson [3]

chapter 26

"i will have you, if you will have me."

belle's pov!

"hello you two~", i said, sliding in between my two favorite frenemy duo, "what's the weather today?"

"boiling hot with the way you're looking.", sam joked, making me and bucky laugh at the same time.

"i'm completely flattered, thank you.", i sipped my drink as i assessed his clothes, "red and grey, i see you, falcon."

"self pride.", he huffed, "i fly and everything, it's cool. plus i had to honor redwing somehow too."

"i want to break redwing in half.", bucky mumbled loud enough for the two of us to hear.

i laughed while sam looked offended and horrified.

"you get near my little buddy and i'll-"

"what? order him to shoot tiny missiles at me?", bucky laughed out loud, finding it hilarious.

"i'll tell him to aim it at your butt too.", sam said.

i glanced at bucky and i touched his metal arm, a habit i do every time i see it.

"it still amazes me how cool your hand is.", i commented, giving a platonic kiss on the back of his hand, "proud of you for surviving, buck."

bucky smiled, forgetting his banter with sam, "thanks, belle. you're sweet, you know that?"

"she should, yes. after all, i've mentioned it a few times.", loki's amused tone playfully said.

"hi, you.", i said happily, momentarily forgetting this morning.

"hello, you.", loki replied, "is it okay if i steal you for a bit?"

i looked at bucky and sam, and smiled, "sorry, but how can i say no to that?"

sam commented something about just saying no, while bucky shut him up with a kick to his leg.

"have fun, you two.", bucky called after us, as loki guided me away.

we were standing outside on the terrace, the night sky full of stars looking down at us. a sense of dejavu hit me, because somewhere in another realm, in another celebration, this has happened once.

"i saw you kiss the sergeant's hand."

"jealous?", i whispered to him and he scowled. i laughed and picked up his hand and kissed each of his knuckles, "satisfied, now?"

he flushed, "yes."

at one point, i drank up the rest of the tequila in my cup.

"i should get more.", i said, letting go of his hand and started to walk back in.

his hand reached out and wrapped around my wrist. he carefully plucked the drink from my hand and the liquid swirled magically and refilled itself.

"stay.", he said carefully, "i think we need to talk."

the talk.

i eyed my drink and he chuckled, handing it back to me.

i gazed at the drink and watched it bubble softly, "i'm sorry."

"hm? what for?", he asked, confused.

"that kiss i shouldn't have-"

"never apologize for that kiss.", he said, cutting me off, but speaking with an intensity so soft, "that kiss was the best kiss i've ever had in my life."

"but, i thought we-", i struggled to word it out, like i have been lately, "we got distant and awkward?"

"i'm sure you knew we had to do that to think, love.", he said, fingers placing themselves under my chin and lifting my face slightly, "i think, my heart, that we weren't awkward because we hated it or we felt uncomfortable. i think we were that way because we wanted more."

more. that word held so much meaning in it, but i never realised how much more exactly was until now. more feels like a whole lot more now.

"but since we're new to this, i need your opinion on it.", he said quietly, "i trust that you still want to take it slow? and not rush into things, right?"

"yes.", i said truthfully, "but i feel like this morning, it wasn't fast either, i think- i think we're nearing the right time?"

he grinned, "well, perhaps we are. but if ever given the chance, you'd want to feel it, take it slow?"

i nodded.

"good, because so do i.", he said softly and pressed a kiss on my forehead, "i love you always, belle. i don't think i'll ever unlove you."

"and i you, loki.", i meant it, i truly did, "so, we're okay?"

"we're okay.", he reassured, "the tension and all of it will have to be dealt with at another time, the right time."

"one day." he whispered as he pressed a soft kiss on my neck, "i will have you, if you will have me."

that was a promise, i realised with a smile.

i looked up at him and kissed the tip of his nose, "i will have you. always."

he hummed, "let's go back inside, yes? it's freezing."

"i thought you liked the cold?", i questioned, sipping my drink. before i lowered my glass again, his fingers touched mine, as he guided the rim of the glass to his lips and drank a little.

he smiled, cheeks flushed from the cold or maybe from the drink, and i felt myself melt from how utterly beautiful he is.

he looked at me with all the softness in the world as he said the words, "i found that i had started to like your warmth better. the cold doesn't seem as good as it once did."

author's note:

i love the rain.