Endlessly

Ikol

Every single part of you ached when you'd finally sat down. Your cheeks burned from laughter. Your feet, no thanks to your discarded shoes, throbbed and your back was uncomfortably tight.

You were still giggling when you collapsed onto the stone bench, your attention immediately drawn to Aster and Bragi, who still managed to dance and dance and dance like they'd never heard of the word fatigue.

You can't help but grin watching the two of them. Aster is not, in fact, a bad dancer, but rather, not used to leading. With Bragi guiding each of their steps, the two of them make their way gracefully around the courtyard like a couple of classically trained terpsichoreans.

The chill in the air bites at your sweat-slicked back as you stretch out your legs. Loki had transformed his firework display into low-hanging flecks of light unlike you'd ever seen before. It was as though he'd pulled the very stars in the sky down to your level to join the celebrations. And the music- gods, the music. Immediately as the firework display had slowed to a halt, the most joyous, mythical music you've ever heard filled the courtyard, surrounding the small party as though it was coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

"Already too tired to dance?" Loki teases as he settles in beside you, wrapping a loving arm around your waist.

"I'd hardly call three hours of dancing 'already.'" You poke him in the chest with a single finger. He'd discarded his helmet around the same time you'd kicked off your shoes.

"You're right. You didn't take any of the breaks the three of us did for drinking." A wink.

You laugh. "You know, I sometimes fool myself with my own illusion- forgetting for a moment that I'm pregnant." You wiggle your swollen toes. "I definitely feel pregnant all of the time. Especially times like this."

"Why do you maintain the illusion?" Genuine interest dances in his eyes.

"Practice, mostly." You reach under the neckline of your dress, revealing your arcana to him, which is now just over three quarters full.

"Gersemi- this is incredible." He reaches for the gem, admiring it in his hand. "It takes most people at least a year to completely fill-" His face turns shockingly pale as his eyes drift to your chest.

"Loki... what is it?" You rest a hand on his thigh.

"Your crystal-" He reaches with his other hand to pull your purple and emerald crystal the rest of the way out from under the collar of your dress. "Its power is almost entirely drained... I didn't expect that to happen so soon- we need to get you back to Jotunheim as soon as possible." His eyes glaze with worry.

You look down at the crystal, your heart sinking as you realize how faint the purple glow has become. The flecks of emerald still reflect the low light as if there's fire in them, but the magic from the flowers has turned distressingly lusterless.

"I'm so sorry. We have to go- tomorrow would be good, tonight would be better." He tucks the crystal back into your dress, firmly against your skin.

"No. I mean- I can make tomorrow work, but I have some things I need to do."

"Tonight was what you told me you had to do- you cannot fight me on this anymore, Gersemi-"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Loki!" You shoot to your feet, your head sent spinning from the blood rush.

"I'll talk to you however the hel I need to, to get it through your head that you could die if that thing runs out of power- that our child could die because of your stubbornness!" He rises to your height and beyond- the sheer size of him towering over you is oppressing in a way that makes your stomach turn.