The Bump in the Night

Her heart was soaring, so full of love for him. Eisa resisted the urge to tackle him to the ground and smother him in kisses. She wanted to profess her undying love for him, tell him of how many times she had dreamed of this day, and let him know she was solely his, entirely and for eternity.

That is what she wanted to do, but she knew she couldn't. Loki was skittish when it came to affection, she knew if she started rambling about how she was feeling, he could very well run and hide from her, waiting another several months before he approached her again.

Instead, she held him tightly and replayed the moment his lips touched hers in her mind. It was a thousand times better than she had ever imagined.

"What are you thinking?" Loki asked self-consciously.

"You don't want to know." She pressed several kisses to the flesh over his heart.

"Why don't I?" He pushed his fingers through her hair and pulled her back to look at her face.

He was vulnerable.

I love you. I love you! I love you!! She was screaming in her head.

He waited patiently as she reigned in her emotions.

"The brief synopsis of my thoughts right now? I am happy. Very, very happy."

"As am I."

"Will you kiss me again?"

"We must warm you up first." He swallowed thickly as his eyes trailed down her body. Her nipples were straining against the fabric of her swimsuit and goosebumps had raised on her flesh.

"Can we stay a little while longer?"

"Yes, but not here. Let's get you back into the sunshine, shall we?"

"Fine." She looked up to him with an exaggerated pout.

"Careful, Dove. You may lose the lip if you keep that up." He grinned and gave her bottom lip a soft nip with his teeth.

"Ahh..." She brought her hand up and covered her mouth as she watched Loki disappear into the water. "Wait for me!"

The air outside of the grotto was drastically warmer and the sun seemed a thousand times brighter as Eisa resurfaced on the other side.

Loki was backstroking away with a wide smile on his face, "Come to the shallows where the water is warmer." He stopped and stood up, waiting for her.

Standing in chest-deep water, with the sun shining brightly down on him, glistening off the contours of his muscular shoulders and arms, he was breathtaking. She had to force herself not to squeal as she drank him in.

She swam to his outstretched arms quickly. He pulled her close to him as she got near, wrapping her arms and legs around him, he held her close to his body.

"Isn't this much better?" he asked her.

She gave him a small shake of her head.

"No?"

"No."

He leaned in and gave her a slow kiss on her lips, "Better?"

"Exceedingly."

He chuckled shyly.

It was Eisa who closed the distance this time, bumping Loki's nose ungracefully before tilting her head and claiming his lips, her arms wrapped around his neck. He smiled as she kissed him repeatedly, letting her take the lead. Her awkwardly placed pecks slowly morphed into controlled caresses with her lips. Loki rewarded her with tiny moans when she kissed him well and closed his lips tightly when she strayed from good form.

Soon her pressure and placement were so near perfect that Loki had to refrain from letting his touches wander. He slid one hand to the back of her head and tipped her head back slightly, causing her mouth to open wider. Seizing the opportunity, he slid his tongue gently over her lips. She froze and he could not stop the chuckle that escaped him.

"No?"

She smiled shyly, "Yes."

He pressed another light kiss to her lips. Once, twice, three times before he deepened the kiss, brushing his tongue softly against hers. She reciprocated eagerly, tightening the hold she had on his neck.

Their kisses slowly started to become more urgent. Loki was getting lost in her. The warmth of her skin on his. The softness of her body in his hands. The fullness of her breasts pressed to his chest.

She whimpered and whined when he pulled away and released her.

"We need to slow down."

Eisa nodded. She was starting to feel a little drunk. "All right."

"You are a quick study." He adjusted himself in his shorts.

"When it is a subject I enjoy." She had to tread water, not tall enough to stand next to him.

Loki laughed briefly before his face fell. Movement in the trees behind Eisa caught his attention.

"Loki? What is the matter?" She was terrified that he was regretting his decision to kiss her.

"We are not alone," he whispered.

"What?!" She went to look over her shoulder, but Loki pulled her back.

"Shh... stay calm, little dove. Act naturally." She nodded and he placed his hand on the side of her head. "Do not panic. You are safe. I will not let anything hurt you. Understand?"

"Yes."

His eyes were on her as he started walking her out of the water, but his focus was on whatever was in the woods.

Handing him his towel, "Is it an animal?" she whispered.

"Possibly." He was lying; there were two men, maybe three.

"Loki..." she looked to him pleading, "Maybe it is a neighbor?"

"Perhaps," he lied again. There were no other residences for a hundred miles in any direction. "Let's go back home, yes?"

Eisa nodded again, sadly. She had never wanted to leave this magical water.

oOXOo

Loki got Eisa safely back to the house and left her in the care of a maid while he went to seek out Birger. And, as he suspected, he had not sent any of his crew out anywhere near the waterfall today. They had all been present and accounted for carrying out chores around the property inside of the walls. Birger confirmed there were no villages nearby, but that didn't rule out a few men looking for elk or bear. It was rare, but the occasional hunting party had managed to make their way this far before.

With Loki's mind a little more at ease, he found Amelia and instructed her to have the kitchen prepare a special dinner and have it served in the garden.

After he bathed and dressed, he went outside to make sure everything was perfect before Eisa arrived. A small, round garden table had been set for two, lush greenery and candles decorated the space, and slow, instrumental music could be heard playing softly in the background.

"What's all this?" Eisa placed her hand over her heart as she came through the patio doors. "Loki, my Gods, it's beautiful."

She had on one of her new dresses, a peacock green chiffon with a V-neckline and short, ruffled sleeves. It was cinched at the waist and flared out toward the hem, cut asymmetrically: above the knee in the front, mid-calf in the back. Her hair was braided at the sides and came together in the back into a low chignon.

Loki stood as she came through the doors.

Breathtaking.

"It pales in comparison." He picked up her hand and kissed it. "You look so lovely."

"Thank you." She blushed and tucked her chin to her shoulder.

"May I?" He ran his finger along her jaw and lifted her face to his.

Eisa nodded and closed her eyes as Loki leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. He rested his forehead on hers and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"I love..." she caught herself, "your kisses, Loki."

He chuckled and kissed her again before pulling out her chair for her.

Dinner was roasted duck with root vegetables, sauteed mushrooms, and a light chocolate mousse for dessert.

They sat and talked for hours by candlelight under the night sky. The dishes had been cleared, and Loki was nearly finished with his second glass of Asgardian Gewürztraminer before he had worked up enough courage to bring up the reason for the special dinner.

"Eisa," he started then paused, "I have been thinking quite a bit lately."

"Go on," she took a sip from her water goblet, a slight pink flush on her cheeks from the one glass of wine she had permitted herself.

"Well, this is all new territory for me, as it is for you. I wanted to get your opinion on a few thoughts I had as we navigate these new waters together."

Together. The butterflies in her stomach started dancing anew.

"Very well. I would love to hear your thoughts."

He scooted his chair around the table, closer to hers and took her hand in his.

"I... I would like your permission to court you."

Her eyebrows shot up, "Court me? Loki, we are married."

"Yes, I know. Strictly speaking."

"Consider me courted." She smiled widely at him and squeezed his hand.

"No, Eisa. You deserve romance. We both deserve romance. A prelude to this relationship where we can explore our feelings. Where I can acclimate to the idea of being a proper husband." He paused and took a deep breath, "Odin was not a great father. But there was no question about his love for my mother. He transformed into an entirely different person in her presence. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her to make her happy. Including stealing a baby from another realm for her, but I digress."

Eisa gave him a soft smile.

"My point is, they made each other happy. You make me happy. I want to make you happy."

"You do make me happy, Loki."

"No, I mean, really happy."

She raised one eyebrow to him, "Oh?"

"Not like that. I mean, I do... want to. You have no idea how badly I want to. Eventually."

"Eventually?"

"I have had an extensive number of sexual relationships. All with varying levels of intimacy, but none ever felt truly genuine. Am I making any sense?"

She took a moment to think about what he had said, "You wish to take things slowly."

"How would you feel about that?"

She had never seen him this way, so self-conscious, almost pleading. Outwardly he had always seemed so self-assured and domineering. Yet here he was, practically begging her for tender, loving care. Asking her permission to court her and take things slow. Her heart was nearly full to bursting. This man that she had loved so intensely since she was a child was willing to withhold starting a sexual relationship to connect with her on a deeper, emotional level. She wanted to cry but held herself together.

"As eager as I am to be with you in that special way, I will not force the issue." She looked at their joined hands, "I won't take the choice away from you. I will not put you in a position where you feel like you are not acting of your own free will. I will wait for you to come to me. I was feeling needy and out of sorts when I pulled the stunt with the black nightie. I apologize, sincerely. And I thank you for not indulging me. I want you to make love to me because you love me, not because I just happened to be in your bed."

"Thank you." He kissed her knuckles then rested his forehead on her hand in her lap. She ran her fingers through his soft, silky hair. He took a few minutes to compose his thoughts before sitting back up and looking into her eyes.

"You have this wonderful gift of being able to say whatever is in your heart. It is beautiful and pure. I do not have that talent. I cannot put my feelings into words so easily. I appreciate your patience as I try to make sense of all these emotions that I have never let myself feel before."

He stood and drew her up with him, "Dance with me?"

Eisa blushed and nodded as he pulled her into his arms, swaying in time with the music.

"I thought I was certain of the life that I would make for myself, but now I am not so sure." He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "You have completely upended me. Your gentle wings have created a gale stronger than any tornado, my little dove. You are a tiny force to be reckoned with. I am getting lost in the storm that is you, Eisa."

She rested her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him, "Small but fierce."

"Beautiful and dangerous." He chuckled, "This is the most precarious situation I have ever put myself in. And that is saying a lot."

Eisa laughed as she stroked his cheek. "There will be songs written about your fearlessness. A sweeping ballad about the brave prince who allowed himself to be loved."

He laughed with her as they danced. He kissed her under the stars, the warm glow of the candles dancing on the hedges along the low garden walls.

oOXOo

They spent their days in much the same way as when they first arrived. At night, they cuddled and kissed as they rested in bed talking and laughing, recounting the highlights of the day, or planning for their adventures in the days to follow.

It was one night in the middle of their fourth week that a commotion woke Loki up from a dead sleep. He bolted upright as he heard shouting and glass breaking.

"Loki?" Eisa sat up as he ran out of bed.

"Stay here." He went to the door and listened intently before opening it a sliver. A loud crash echoed up from the first floor. He closed the door back quickly and quietly.

"What is it? What is happening?

"Eisa, darling, trousers and boots. Now."

"Where are we going?" She scrambled off the bed and made her way to the closet.

"Hopefully nowhere." Loki followed her. "But dress warmly, we may be outdoors for a while."

She didn't ask any more questions as she quickly pulled on trousers and a warm flannel button down shirt.

Loki froze as he pulled his boots on, another sound catching his attention, "We need to go, now."

Her heart was pounding, hands shaking as she tried to lace her boots. "Will you please tell me what is happening?"

He knelt and put his hands on her shoulders, "You need to listen to me very carefully. You need to do exactly as I say when I say it. There are men in the house. We are not going to panic. We are going to make our way to the stables as quickly and as quietly as possible. If we get separated-"

"Loki, no!"

"If we get separated you must hide until we can meet there safely." He noticed her shiny, copper hair loose and flowing around her shoulders. He stood quickly and rustled through a dresser drawer until he found what he was looking for. He tugged the knit woolen black cap over her head. "Hide as much of your hair as you can."

She started stuffing her hair up into the cap as best she could as Loki finished tying her boot laces. She could do this, she told herself. This will be just like sneaking away and hiding from Yulla when she was a girl.

Clinging to Loki's hand, he led her along the hall and down the two flights of back stairs the servants use. Commotion was coming from the back of the house, their security detail putting up a good fight to push back the men who had breached the back entrance.

Loki wanted to lend them a hand fighting off the intruders, but his first priority was getting Eisa to safety.

As they rounded a corner into the foyer, they froze in their tracks. Greta was bound and gagged, bloodied, and bruised at the feet of a very large man with a very large sword blocking the way to the front doors.

"Hand over the girl and no one else gets hurt."

~~~~~~~~~~~

In the next chapter: Could this be the sudden end of Loki's happily ever after?