When Ravens Meet Ravens

Training Begins

Raven found herself thinking about Loki after they had kissed that night. I don't know where we go from here, but not quite sure if I want to find out or not.
Raven was lying in bed awake. It's late, and she can only assume that it's around 3 am. Raven sighed softly, wishing that she could be dream walking, as she enjoyed what little time she got with her son.
Raven got out of bed as quietly as she could, making her way to the kitchen.
"Good morning, Raven~" Loki mused, watching her take a water bottle from the fridge.
Raven dropped the water bottle making a strange bird noise as she, turned into a raven. She could hear Loki chuckling. Raven reverted to her human form, mildly glaring at Loki.
"Since when can you turn into a raven?" Loki asked.
"Since I was 14. What are you doing up? It's 4 am." She said, glancing at the clock.
"Restless. You?"
Raven nodded, taking a drink.
Loki hummed for a moment. "Perhaps we should sleep together. Maybe then we can get rest that way."
Raven raised my eyebrow at him, wondering what he meant. He must've understood what crossed her mind because he brought his hands up in defense.
"I don't mean like that, dear. What I mean is to cuddle. Separate blankets, like what we agreed last time."
"Uh-huh," She said jokingly, walking toward her room.

Raven's heart pounded in her chest as she froze in the center of the living room. The world around her began to disintegrate, a terrifying wave of destruction. Consumed by an engulfing darkness, she was left in a void of nothingness. The sensation of falling overcame her - an infinite plunge into the abyss. Raven glanced down at the floor disintegrating beneath her, its fragments disappearing into the obsidian void. As she descended into the unknown, the distant echo of her name floating in the air reached her ears. A sudden touch on her shoulder ripped her violently from her nightmarish vision. Raven jolted upright, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Loki's face swam into my vision, his eyes wide and filled with concern. "Raven? Are you alright?" His voice, a stark contrast to the silence of her hallucination, was jarring. Raven turned her gaze away, attempting to control the erratic rhythm of her heartbeat. "I...uh...I'm fine," She managed to reply, forcing a smile onto her face before quickly averting her eyes."You weren't responding," Loki pointed out, his voice laced with worry. "I think... I might have had a hallucination," Raven confessed with a shudder, moving away from the living room and towards the safety of her bedroom. Loki was quick to follow me. "A hallucination? What did you see, Raven? If you're comfortable sharing, that is."With an anxious pulse throbbing in her veins, Raven reclined on her bed, her gaze lost in the vast expanse of the ceiling above. "Loki?" She whispered into the silence. "Yes, my dear?" came the soothing response, as Loki positioned himself beside her. Swallowing hard, Raven ventured a question, her voice trembling with unease. "If... If I were to completely succumb to insanity... Would you still stand by me?" She turned to Loki, her heart pounding in her chest, apprehensive of his response. Loki gently enveloped her hand with his, a comforting warmth spreading through our intertwined fingers. "I am just beginning to comprehend the depth of your past, and the whirlwind of turmoil you've weathered," he assured, his tone steady and strong. "I have not forsaken you until this moment, and I have no intention of doing so in the future." He then moved his hand to her face, and instinctively, I recoiled, my body rigid with tension. She squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for his touch, and then she felt it - Loki's hand, gentle and reassuring, caressing my cheek.

"I promise to always be gentle with you, never causing you pain on purpose. If I ever do hurt you, even unintentionally, I want you to feel safe enough to tell me. It's important to share your feelings openly." With a gentle nod, Raven felt Loki's arm wrap around her with a protective warmth, drawing her in close. She let out a soft cry, finding solace against his chest. For the first time, there's a real sense of hope that everything might just turn out alright."Love?""Mm-hmm?""Can you share with me what you saw?"It was as if everything began to crumble around me. The walls of the apartment gave way, and suddenly, there was only void-an engulfing darkness."Holding her even tighter, Loki's embrace became a fortress against her fears. He wondered how frequently she was haunted by these terrifying images."I felt like I was being pulled into an endless descent. The ground beneath me simply vanished, leaving me to tumble into an endless chasm."A hard swallow betrayed Loki's worry as he asked, "How often do these visions come to you?" Too often," she whispered, her voice a fragile thread."Just promise me, next time, you'll let me in, let me share that burden, okay?"She nodded, snuggling further into the sanctuary of his arms."Try to rest now," Loki whispered tenderly, caressing her hair away from her face. Raven murmured something indistinct, her words lost to exhaustion. "What was that?" Loki asked, a soft chuckle escaping him as he felt her relax into sleep.