Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 19

Loki just stared for a moment. He couldn't think, couldn't comprehend what she'd said. She'd just went on a rant of how much she'd loved him before she'd even met him. She had his sigil etched permanently on her skin in ink. She accepted and loved him without even knowing what he looked like.

He didn't have words to say to her. His silver tongue failed him, turned to a leaded knot in his mouth. He opened his mouth. Closed it again. Opened it.

Fuck.

He needed to say something.

Anything.

She couldn't see him. Couldn't see anything, much less the shocked joy, the love in his eyes, the acceptance that he so desperately craved.

He

Needed

To

Fucking

Say

Something

All words failed him.

So he did the only thing he could to show her how much her words had meant to him, to reciprocate her feelings. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, with as much passion and love in his kiss as he could. It was the best he could offer her until he came up with some words.

He finally broke the kiss and sat back, breathing heavily and letting her catch her breath, her expression slightly dazed and a bit giddy. Perfect.

"I have never in all of my years had someone care about me so much. Never had anyone who understands me like that, not even Mother who knows me better than anyone. It means the world to me that you do," he told her warmly. The words weren't enough. No words would be, but they were the only words he could find.

She reached up and cupped his cheek. "Of course I care about you, Loki," she said warmly. She paused. She had to ask the question. It would bother her until she did. "You don't hate my tattoo?" she asked in a small voice, afraid he would really hate it.

"Not at all," he reassured her quickly. There was no hesitation in his tone. "I adore it, darling. I never thought, after all of the mistakes I've made, that someone as amazing as you would care for me," Loki told her, speaking the absolute truth.

"I'm hardly amazing. Just a blind girl from Midgard," she reminded him.

"You are more than a blind Midgardian. You are beautiful and intelligent. You are a noble of Asgard and if you'll let me, I'd like to court you properly," Loki told her. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and saw to his surprise, that his horns were smaller than they'd been. He didn't have time to worry about that at the moment.

"I'm hardly beautiful, Loki. My face is horribly scarred," she reminded him quickly. She wouldn't accept what she saw as lies. Though she couldn't hear a lie in his words and she was good at spotting them. She looked adorably confused at his last words. "I thought you were courting me?"

Loki chuckled. "You are beautiful to me, my darling," he reassured her warmly. "And I did not exactly make it official or ask you properly. I simply kissed you,"

"Oh. Well it can definitely be official," she told him since he seemed to need to hear the words.

He smiled brightly. "That's wonderful to hear," he couldn't help the purr in his voice, before he brushed a lock of loose hair behind her ear and leaned in to kiss her, cupping her cheek in his hand.

They enjoyed their kisses until late into the evening. "We really should get some sleep," Morgan finally said in a break between kisses. "I have magic lessons in the morning and your mother doesn't seem like one who appreciates tardiness..."

Loki chuckled. "You're right. We really should get some rest," he agreed.

"Goodnight, Liam," she purred and Loki couldn't help the shudder down his spine as his nickname was purred off of her lips.

"Good night, Ana," he replied warmly and kissed her softly. With that, she curled up under the blankets on her half of the bed. She intended to stay on her half.

Like that was going to happen...

As soon as she laid down, he gently pulled her into his arms to cuddle her. He didn't force her, but she was like a kitten and curled herself in his arms, laying her head on his chest. "Mmm cold pillow," she teased.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest, and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, Ana," he repeated.

*

Loki woke to her tossing and turning in his arms in the middle of the night, trapped in a nightmare. He jolted awake. She struggled against the blankets, against his arms. "NO!" she screamed as she sat up, her eyes bursting open. She didn't move, sitting and staring at nothing, her usually entirely white eyes glowing bright gold.

Loki placed his hands on her shoulders to try to ground her. "Ana? Ana, what's wrong?" he asked her gently, trying to keep his voice calm so he didn't startle her.

"I see-" she started, her voice dull and monotone as visions crossed her mind. Loki knew the signs. He had seen his mother in the thrall of visions often enough. Especially when his blind seer had her eyes glowing with so much magic.

"What do you see, my darling?" he asked her gently, goading her into speaking what she saw so the visions weren't lost. She would be trapped in them until someone heard what she saw. Until her message, her warning, was delivered.

"Happy on the ground bleeding. Men shove me in the trunk of a car," she paused. Her voice changed, deepening as she repeated what she heard in the vision: " 'Thank god she brought the human today instead of that monster of hers.'" Her voice went back to the monotone description of the visions. "A ransom note delivered to dad. They-" she paused again, more visions passed her vision too fast to describe until she lands on the most likely. "I hear them. They're going to kill me despite the ransom money. I break the ropes and snap their necks. I-" she halted, tears running down her cheeks. "Days pass. I'm dead on the couch. Blind, I couldn't find the exit to the basement they trapped me in," she blinked quickly a couple of times and her eyes stopped glowing.

Her vision of her death described, she crumbled into Loki's waiting arms.