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It had been a good day, long but relaxing. You had managed to have an entire family breakfast with Loki, Thor, Odin, and Frigga without any arguments. It wasn’t very often that you were able to all be together, and it was even less common that it was a happy occasion. Somedays you wouldn’t even see your love, Loki until both went to your bed chambers at night.
One year ago, the move had become permanent, Loki had grown tired of visiting Midgard and begged for you to come to live in Asgard with him. It took great begging from Loki and coxing and convincing from Frigga and Thor for Odin to allow it. When Loki asked to marry you, it was an even bigger battle. One you chose not to dwell on. Every few months you persuade Loki that you need a trip to a Midgardian bookstore and on your last trip you scored several classic poetry books. Loki hadn’t shown much interest in your books until then.
You had spent your afternoon with Lady Sif, she had been teaching you how to ride. After being out most of the afternoon, the two of you had dinner together before you retired for your evening bath. That night when you entered your chambers there was a notecard and a single flower on your pillow.
“Sleep my love, I will be away tonight.”
His weary soul could often lead to restless nights. If he was fortunate enough to catch Heimdall on a good day, he may even venture off-world. Today seemed that it was probably just that. You had no choice but to accept what it was and crawl into bed alone. Thankfully, you were so tired from the days' events it didn’t take long for you to fall into a restless slumber. It was easy for you to comprehend Loki’s night terrors because you lived with them yourself.
Tossing and turn, sweat beaded in your hairline. Your skin was burning hot against the cool satin sheets. Demons of the night terrorized you, keeping you trapped in your sleep. Until soft cold hands ran soothingly up and down your bareback coaxing you awake. Your eyes fluttered open to the golden glow of candlelight, illuminating Loki’s translucent skin, and casting beautiful shadows across his face.
“Night terrors again?” He murmured.
“Mmm,” You weren’t coherent enough to speak.
You were frustrated to be awake but knew that the demons wouldn’t be back tonight, not as long as Loki was by your side. You nuzzled into his bare chest, one of his arms wrapping around you, pulling you closer to him.
“Where’d you go?” You asked breathing in his scent, calming yourself, and re-centering your mind.
“To Midgard,” He replied, his hand slowly moving up and down on your arm.
“Why?” Your curiosity piqued.
“I’ll show you in the morning.”
You didn’t have the energy to argue, the nine realms could be exploding around you and you wouldn’t care. Loki was your world and you were his.
“Shall I read to you?” He asked.
You nodded, if you had to imagine the voice that spoke the universe into exists, well you couldn’t imagine any voice other than his. It was deep and soothing, no doubt it could calm a raging sea.
He reached over, barely moving you to reach the book. It was one you only read before bed and only when one of you could read to the other. He shuffled the pages until he found the one with the folded edge.
“Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare,” He started.
You sighed in contentment. This was one of your favorites.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
By the end of it, your breathing had evened, and your eyelids grew heavy again. You felt the shuffle of him putting the book back on the bedside table. He pulled the covers up further to your shoulder and placed a gentle kiss to the top of your head before settling next to you.
“I promise to fight off any demons that come,” He soothed.
You didn’t speak another word but laced your fingers with his and laid your intertwined hands on his abdomen. His breath slowly matched your own as he settled in.
“I love you.” Were the last words you heard before you slipped from consciousness.