afterglows || loki laufeyson [3]

bonus chapter 2

BELLE AND LOKI'S APARTMENT, NEW YORK : 2017

"because i know that no grave can hold me down, i'll always crawl back home to you." 

belle's pov!

the first thing i did was blink my foggy vision away rapidly. the second thing i noticed was that my heart was beating so hard that i felt it in all my body parts.

with a low shudder of breath, i disentangled myself from loki's arms, and decided to sit on the corner of the bed.

there was this sickening realization in that dream. just before the enemy drove the knife through my ribs, successfully ripping a hole in my lungs, i had stood there frozen with eyes clenched shut and hands over my ears. in my last moments of being in that nightmare, i remembered myself feeling utterly useless and defeated. but worst of all, i felt myself die.

another wave of chills wracked through my spine, as i decided to stand up and go to the bathroom.

i was familiar with my scarily realistic dreams, of strange meetings with people i know and making memories that never happened, but this nightmare shook me a little.

it felt real.

i washed my face, the cold water breaking me out of my thoughts for a moment. staring at my reflection, i watched for a few seconds before breaking eye contact with myself.

wiping my face with a towel and slowly stepping back into the bedroom silently, i realised that i'm most likely not going to be able to go back to sleep.

because if i do sleep, will i see what happens after i die? or will i relive that nightmare over and die again?

i sat on the floor, my back supported by the side of the bed.

silence accompanied the slow rushing panic in my mind, until the bed creaked softly and loki poked his head to the edge of the bed and looked at me.

"darling? why are you sitting alone on the floor?", he rasped sleepily in confusion.

"nothing, i was just thinking.", i mumbled a little, before saying a little bit clearer, "sorry, i probably woke you up. please go back to bed, love. i'll join you in a minute."

without looking, i could almost see the frown that's made its way over to loki's face.

after a few shuffling noises, i found loki ungracefully plopping down beside me with a loud thud.

"now what are you doing sitting on the floor, hm?", i shot back the question at him and he smiled lightly.

"it feels rude to leave you be and go back to sleep.", he hummed, slinging his arm on my shoulders, in a floppy side embrace.

"it wouldn't be rude if i told you to do so."

"perhaps.", loki laughed, "apologies, my heart, but this time i can't do as you wish. i'll be sitting here with you until morning, if i must."