Who: Valkyrie, Loki What: settling in at home after a day's work. When: around March 1
Val walked into their house after a long day minding the fishing boats, one of which had sprung a leak.
Loki was sprawled out on the couch, writing notes of what was on the agenda for tomorrow. There were council meetings to think of, and he did not bother to look up as he heard her come in. His maybe-possibly-hopefully wife was about as subtle as a hammer cracking skulls when it came to matters of stealth.
"Ah yes," he said, brows knit together as he continued writing, "You're late. We need to speak about..."
"Can you not throw wrenches into my arrival here?" she asked. "I mean, it's not even a month and now what do I have to deal with."
"Excuse me? All of my 'wrenches' are well aimed," he protested as he finally looked up at her. And in case she didn't hear him or doubted it, he heavily emphasized, "Well aimed."
Only perhaps not, since he was a bit of a busy body and he wondered if the Valkyrie caught wind of his snooping earlier with the intention of pulling a fine prank on her. Even invisible, he still fumbled in the boathouse while she was working. What was a little beverage spilled on a shipping manifest? Nothing really. It could be blotted up. Most things were digital, anyway.
One of Val's brows arched up as she stared at him.
Loki arched a brow right back at her, admitting nothing even if she already suspected he was to blame.
"Trust me. I know what I'm doing," he said in such a way, that it made known all sleeping dogs should be left laying without being prodded by sticks. Including pranks that she couldn't prove. Meanwhile, he had a grand master plan to impress her with big damn hero heroics with his young spider-friend. But shhhhh! That is not only a master plan, but a super secret master plan. He smirked ear to ear at the thought, in a way that might be infuriating and funny at the same time.
"Insistent on giving me a headache?" she asked, not taking the hint.
"Let's be honest. My older self likely gave you a headache, and then somehow made amends. As soon as I figure out his methods, I'll remedy any pain I cause." There was an 'innocent' wide-eyed pause as he thought over the need for clarification. "In other words yes? But not intentionally."
"I figured."
Loki smiled brightly. Headaches included nudging at boundaries. He enjoyed that, even if they had discussed trying things out and sleeping in the same bed. Which he was about to cash in on.
"Tonight seems a good night for me to sleep by your side. Yes?" He set his work aside as he stood up. "I shall go attire myself accordingly. And wait in our...your bedchamber for your arrival."
"You make it sound like some big production."
"Isn't it?"
"No? Is it?"
Before he could head to his private bath - stay out, this means you - he stared at her as though appalled. "Yes! It's a rather important moment. I'm supposed to be trying to impress you."
"Alright alright," she said, just to shut him up.
"Thank you," was his prim response, before he cleared his throat a little and walked off to bathe. And to get his hair just right. And to choose the right attire. And to cast an invisibility spell as he went up into the master bedroom. It was a production, and he would have surprised her if she was within, but she was not. Instead, he dropped the spell as he landed on the bed, wearing a silken black robe over black pajamas, with a collar high enough that even Midgardian puritans would be proud. Wearing nothing would be pushing it too far. He was pristine and thought he looked beautiful this eve, and this was the finest silk in the universe.
He proceeded to spend about five minutes fussing over the best way to lay down and still look aesthetically pleasing. It was such a seriously thought out affair that anyone who made fun of him would have gotten a knife to the throat.
Val took a shower, braided her hair, and threw on pajamas. No muss, no fuss.
Meanwhile, Loki was trying to look occupied by reading a book, but it's really a cover for peeking at the doorways for when she walks in. He nodded off a little while waiting and kept starting awake before he finally called out to her.
"Have you had second thoughts," he asked, unable to resist taunting a little. "Scared, are we?"
Val walked in and leaned on her door. "No, do you know how long it takes to braid my hair?"
He stared in silence and cleared his throat a little to find his voice. "...I could have braided it for you."
"Next time, then."
"Of course." He set the book aside and reached over to pull the covers back for her, along with casting a bed warming spell since living by the sea does get chilly. His normally cool body temperature certainly didn't help. "After you, dear Valkyrie."
Val eyed him for a moment before sliding into bed.
He smiled as he put the covers over her.
"I'd give you a kiss, but I don't fancy you drawing a knife that is surely under your pillow, and embedding it in my person." He hesitated before asking, "Would you be more comfortable with this if I remain on top of the covers?"
"No, it's fine," she replied. "But you're right, I would probably threaten it at least."
"Ah, does that imply it is a mere threat, akin to a bark with no bite?" He smirked as he slipped under the covers and rolled to face her, careful not to invade her side of the bed. That may happen when he's asleep, and he fully expects that he'll be thrown to the floor, or out of a window.
"I'm not keen on washing my sheets when I really just want to sleep," she pointed out.
"Why wash them? Magic works well enough." He paused the second the last word was spoken, realizing he just put his foot in his mouth and basically gave her the go ahead to stab at him.
Instead of reaching for a knife, Val sighed at him.
He amended quickly, "I need to be alive to do magic the sheets clean, so...yes, what a good point you've made."
"Glad you caught yourself there."
"You were going to stab me, weren't you?" he asked with a grin.
Val gave him a wry grin of her own. "Thought about it."
"It's not fun if you didn't." He lets out a sigh, although it is a happy sounding one. Finally, he could get a night's rest. "I won't tire you more with my talking. But I will say thank you. For letting me be here like this."
"Don't be shocked if you're on the floor by morning," she warned.
"I will not. Don't be shocked when you wake up and I've backed myself up against you and stolen the blankets. Although I'll try not to. No promises."
"Fair is fair."
"I am trying to win your heart again," he pointed out. "If I have to cast a shield between us so you're not angry by my infringing, I can do so."
"Stop acting like you need to walk on eggshells. I don't have any honor for you to ruin by accidentally rolling into me in the night."
Loki blinked hard at that, and then looked much more serious. "...I'm not a barbarian, Hilde. Some conduct is in order while in this transition. I still love you, and I do not want to infringe where it is unwanted."
Val grit teeth a bit. "If I wanted you to put a barrier between us, I would tell you."
Loki's lower jaw tensed and he talked through clenched teeth. "I am trying to be polite."
"Mm," was all she said in response.
He let out an exasperated sigh, thinking she didn't believe him. "Would you rather I leap upon you? I quite like living and I've read that your punches can render one unconscious."
"That isn't what I meant," Val countered, "but you don't need to suggest barriers and the like when we've already agreed other things aren't happening."
That reminder was like a slap to the face and Loki drew in a sharp breath, holding it in afterward.
"Trust me, if you cross a line," she told him firmly, "I'll throw you out so fast your head spins."
"...I see." He promptly rolled over so his back was facing her.
Val rolled her eyes.
"You're so dramatic," she said, rolling the other way.
"Excuse you. I went from being wedded, which included having a bit of an intimate relationship, to this. You are not the only one who needs to adjust."
"I got that message on day one, you know."
Loki looked back over his shoulder and said a little snappishly, "I'm dramatic because it hurts. Which I'm sure you'll ridicule me for, so yes, I'm weak and foolish and whatever else you might be thinking. I've said it for you, and now we can sleep."
"Do not put words in my mouth," she groused, tugging on the blanket.
Loki tugged the blanket back. "Is that not what you were thinking, though? Or is my saying it so openly, too dramatic?"
"Nope, wasn't." She yanked the blanket.
Loki pulled on the blanket. "Oh well then, please enlighten me? I'd love to know."
Val put actual effort in to pull the blanket back toward her. "I was thinking I've been trying and that you just keep over thinking every step, like... just let go of the over thinking for five minutes"
"You can not merely not think about things," he said, already hooking one leg over the edge of the bed to give him more leverage as he pulled. "I'm trying to be careful. I know that's some wildly different concept to you but....NORNS, why are you pulling on the blanket?!"
Val suddenly let go. "Because it's easier than reaching over and smacking you for being so frustratingly polite about this whole thing."
As soon as she let go, he promptly tumbled over the side onto the floor, dragging the blanket halfway off the bed.
"Don't get into a tug of war with me," she warned, "you know that'll never end well, just for the record."
"Apparently so," he conceded as he stood up, glaring a little and brushing himself off. "Well. At least you'd be touching me. Perhaps I should keep at it." Of course, he was oozing sarcasm as he fussed and fixed the blankets.
Val rolled her eyes at him. Again.
Loki rolled his eyes back at her, climbing back into bed with a huff.
"I'm a prince," he told her. "It's how we did things in the court. If you were courting someone, you didn't climb on them and start rutting away like beasts in heat. I thought you might be glad for that. And as sensual as it might be to do that with a blade to my throat, I'd rather like my neck to be uncut."
"So glad I was not a court person. No one said you had to be rude about it either."
"That's not rude! Tis an apt analogy."
Val facepalmed.
He lobbed a crabby stare over at her. "It was a fine point and that's why I'm being cautious. I do not want to drive you off."
"You are ridiculous," she told him.
"Oh please. Everyone is ridiculous from time to time. I'm happier with a book than a sword....Thor has his head shoved up some unicorn's ass to enjoy the rainbows inside half of the time....Sif is serious about everything. And you are blunt to a point."
"Well that's a mental image I never needed to think about," she said, now that the mental images were stuck in her head.
He snerked a little. He still loved his brother, but got easily frustrated with him. Of course, that was mutual. "It's true though. Maybe not to that extent but his optimism can be rather annoying."
"I'm a fighter, a scrapper, not... a delicate anything. I don't need to be handled with too much care you know."
Loki watched her as though waging an internal debate and scooted in a little closer.
"I don't think you're delicate," he told her, "I wouldn't be with you if you were. But I do care how you feel, deep down, underneath the hardened exterior. You can claim there is nothing more than what is on the surface, but I know you have nursed hurts as well. And I do not want to add to them."
"You aren't adding to them. And they stay buried for a reason. I've left them there for centuries. Well..." She waved a hand lightly. You know, until her version of him had dragged them front and center. "I am, more or less, what you see is what you get."
Loki caught hold of her hand and held it gently as he spoke, "I know what is underneath. And not because I stole it. So I am happy with what I see and what I get. But you need not leave those things buried, forever."
Val didn't pull her hand back but glowered a little. "They are best left undisturbed, at best."
"I wouldn't dredge them up, either," he promised, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go. "I would rather be offered such things freely, than force you under duress. And from what I've read....my older self was under duress, and made a foul choice.
"There are hurts I have not shared with you, either," he admitted as well. "So I appreciate you wanting to leave some things undisturbed."
"Duress is being polite," she noted sourly, nose wrinkling at the memory.
"It was a cruel trick to incapacitate you. I tend to pull those. At this juncture though, and having read what he wrote...I wouldn't do so ever again. Not to you."
He was drinking in the sight of her before turning off the lights in the house with a flick of his hand in the air.
"I'm sorry that happened, Brunnhilde," he told her, as the room grew dark save for the moonlight coming in from the windows. "Should I ever do so again, I would let you draw a sword and run me through. If that is a reassurance."
"It is. It is not an experience I wish to have again," she turned her head to crack her stiff neck and flopped back into bed, trying to unwind.
"You are so elegant. I adore you." He was joking, only a little. "Why not punch at your pillows to fluff them."
Val grumbled at him, punching her pillow into a better shape.
At the sound of her fists pummeling the pillows, he started laughing.
"Would you like me to wad up the blankets, so you can stomp on them and make them softer too?" he asked, trying not to laugh as he spoke. Teasing her was his life. It was like playing a fun game of tag with a Bilgesnipe.
Val quickly shifted and kicked him in the shin.
When her foot met his shin he yelped a little and began laughing some more, rubbing at his leg with one hand.
"You brute," he finally said, although it sounded more fond than accusatory.
"That's me."
"It is." He could see the outline of her in the dark. Hoping to make nice before sleeping, he moved in and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "Goodnight. I've left a vast array of Midgardian breakfast meats and cakes cooked in pans in the refrigerator for you."
Because there was no way he was getting up before ten in the morning.
"Oh. Thanks. I appreciate it." She smiled a little. And she was totally getting up at like, 6.
"I thought you might like to eat before you leave." He yawned a little and settled in, face half squished into the pillow and pulling the blanket up over his shoulder. "The coffee maker will make coffee by then as well. I hope you like mochas. I cast a spell on it."
He quieted, closing his eyes, and quickly drifted off to sleep.