Loki remained where the young lady had seated him. He looked around the space in curiosity. It was similar to Seona’s but it was set up more as a restaurant, obviously. It was small and intimate, yet it held far more people than he thought it would. He was jarred from his thoughts by the dimming of the lights. The only lights were now on the stage. The musicians appeared first. The strumming of the acoustic guitar filled the small space, though the microphone pointed at it amplified its melody. The guitar was soon joined by a voice but the line of dancers making their way to the stage distracted Loki. Seona was dressed in a scarlet skirt and bodice decorated with delicate black lace. Her hair was plaited into dozens of braids and twisted into some kind of bun at the nape of her neck. Where the bun dipped at the base of her head a gold comb sat pinning the plaits in place. Small, delicate white roses climbed the sides of her head, creating a sort of crown. Two large, white roses sat on either side of the comb. Loki was entranced. His eyes never left Seona’s figure, even when she wasn’t dancing.

Before he knew it, it was the final dance. Seona reluctantly took her place in the spotlight with the girls smiling devilishly behind her. He watched as she took a deep breath, and then struck her pose. The music began slowly and Seona began to move. As the music began to speed up, so did Seona’s movements. She became a blur of movement it seemed. Her feet never ceased moving the entire time. As the music came to a crescendo her hands produced castanets from out of nowhere and their dissonance with the guitar created a cacophony of sound but complimented the sound of her feet tapping and stomping. Before long, the music began to die down and Seona’s movements. Suddenly, everything went completely silent. Just as suddenly, the audience erupted into thunderous applause. Loki found himself unable to pick his jaw up off the floor. He’d never seen anything quite like what he had just witnessed. Seona stepped down from the stage and the first thing he did was pull her to him and crash his lips to hers in the most passionate, bruising kiss he could bestow upon her. Her hands instantly found their way into his hair. He groaned and pulled away slightly. He rested his forehead against hers.

“I have no words, Seona,” he whispered.

“Hey lovebirds!” one of the girls called.

Seona turned in his arms but didn’t leave them.

“You staying for a drink or you gonna get a room?”

“That depends,” Seona quipped.

“On what?”

“Will there be whiskey?” she returned.

“What is it with you and whiskey?” the girl snapped playfully.

“What? I practically sucked it in with mother’s milk,” Seona joked.

The girls laughed uproariously.

“But seriously, I think we’ll have to pass. Thanks for the invite though.”

She turned back to him.

“Was I really that good?” she asked him, eyes downcast.

“Seona, I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful you were,” he whispered lifting her chin up with a finger beneath it. “If such a thing were possible, I love you even more for continuing to surprise me.”

He kissed her once again, harder this time than last.

“Come, let’s go back before we make a scene here,” Seona whispered against his lips.

He nodded then let her lead him back to her home. As soon as the door shut behind them, Loki pinned her to the door and kissed her for the third time that night. Her hands again went instantly to tangle in his hair drawing a moan from him. She tugged at his hair drawing another, longer, deeper moan from the back of his throat. He broke the kiss only to pepper feather light kisses along her jaw and down the column of her throat. Seona threw her head back, allowing him greater access to her neck. His light kisses soon turned harder until he was gently sucking her ivory skin between his teeth, leaving dark purple bruises in his wake.

Seona hissed and tugged his hair roughly, effectively pulling him away from her newly bruised neck. She glared at him and somehow, reversed their positions. The next thing he knew, his neck was being viciously attacked by her soft lips. They left purple marks surrounded by red in their wake. When Seona pulled back to admire her work, Loki growled in the back of his throat. Seona slipped her hands beneath his shirt.

“Someone’s needy,” she teased running her nails lightly down his chest.

“Seona,” he begged her. “If we do not stop now, we may do something we regret.”

He hated forcing those words out but he wanted to make sure she knew what she was giving up if they continued. As if she knew exactly what he was thinking, Seona reached behind her and undid the costume she had been wearing for the performance. What she was wearing beneath shocked him. Black lace cupped her perfect breasts and hid her true treasure but only just.

His mouth went dry and his mind blank. The woman before him was more beautiful than any goddess he had ever seen. Helheim how he wished he wasn’t so tongue-tied that he could tell he so. He decided he would just show her instead. He cupped her face and kissed her. This time the kiss was softer and he poured every ounce of love he felt into it. He ran his tongue against her lips and she allowed him entrance. She broke the kiss and turned to lead him to the bedroom.

“How could I regret doing this with someone I love?” she asked him with a smile.

“Are you……wait what did you say?” Loki asked when what she said finally registered.

Seona laughed slightly, “You heard me.”

“Say it again,” he told her.

“Say what?” she teased.

“Say you love me,” he whispered in her ear sending a shiver down her spine.

“I love you Loki Odinson and I want you to make me yours,” she murmured against his lips.

That one sentence undid the last of his resolve, which admittedly had been hanging by a very thin thread for a very long time. He swooped her into his arms and laid her down on the bed.

“I think you’re forgetting something Mr. Odinson,” she teased.

Loki realized then that he was still clothed. He made short work of his clothing and for once he was glad he went commando.

“Like what you see, love?” he teased Seona after catching her staring.

Seona flushed but didn’t look away. He knew he would have to stretch her quite a bit for her to be able to take all of his length. He prowled towards her like the predator he was.

Loki growled in frustration at his memory. Of course it would bring that particular memory to the forefront. It wasn’t that he didn’t like that memory. It was actually one of his favorite memories from his time in Spain. What he didn’t like was the timing of everything. He was rock hard in some dusty, old archive in what country he couldn’t even say. And he had no way to release the built up tension that had now invaded his body. He tugged his hair as another memory invaded his senses.

He could hear his phone ringing from his pants’ pocket. He didn’t want to get up. He was too comfortable. The phone continued ringing. He grumbled in frustration and moved to get up. But as he went to move something tightened around his waist. His arm, the one he wasn’t lying on, went to move whatever was around his waist. When his hand met skin that wasn’t his, his eyes snapped open. He looked down and saw an arm. That arm was connected to none other than Seona. His eyes widened as the events of last night came crashing down on him. His phone continuing to vibrate insistently pulled him from his thoughts of last night. He quietly moved Seona’s arm from his waist and slipped out of bed. He dashed to where he’d discarded his pants last night and ripped his phone from his pocket.

“What?” he hissed annoyed.

“Loki, where are you?” his brother, Thor, asked.

“With a friend,” he snapped.

“Well get your ass here quickly,” Thor told him.

“I’ll be back at the apartment tonight,” Loki sighed.

“Not the apartment Loki, Asgard,” Thor replied.

“What?!?” Loki whisper shouted.

“Father wants to speak to you,” Thor said.

“About what?” Loki demanded.

“Don’t know Loki just get here quickly, father’s pissed,” Thor answered.

“Fine,” Loki sighed. “I’ll be there as soon as I get dressed.”

He ended the call with his brother and looked back to where Seona was still sleeping soundly. He sighed and dressed quickly. Then he scribbled a quick note to Seona before he quietly slipped out the door and vanished on the spot.

Asgard

Loki stormed into the throne room livid.

“What is them meaning of this, Father?” he spat.

“How good of you to join us, Loki,” his father replied turning to reveal his betrothed.

“What the fuck is going on?” Loki demanded.

“It has come to my attention that you are fraternizing with a mortal,” his father began.

“I’m in fucking college, father!” Loki growled. “I have to interact with my mortal classmate if I want to look fucking normal!”

“You are not normal Loki,” his father sighed.

“And you don’t think I know that? Fuck! It’s almost as if you are completely blind instead of having only one eye! If I don’t want to stand out I fucking have to act normal!”

“Loki, your father only wants what is best for you,” Signe said quietly.

“HA! And he thinks you are what’s best for me?” Loki spat at her.

“You have to trust his judgment on this Loki,” Signe sighed placing a hand on his arm.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” he snapped. “I have been telling you for years that this marriage would not work, father! And you asked me why. Do you really want to know?”

“Of course I do son.”

“It’s because she agrees with everything she’s told. She has no mind of her own. She doesn’t think for herself. And she doesn’t challenge me in any possible way. Not to mention I don’t fucking love her! I could never love her when my heart belongs to someone else entirely. Now will you dissolve this fake betrothal and let me live my life the way I want to?”

His father didn’t reply for a very long time and Signe looked absolutely devastated. But he couldn’t bring himself to care about her when the woman he loved he’d left alone in bed asleep. He wanted to get back before she woke up so she wouldn’t have to wake up in bed alone after everything that happened last night.

“Loki, I am restricting you to Asgard so you can get to know your betrothed,” his father finally sighed. “If you still feel the way you do, I shall end the betrothal.”

Loki’s heart sank and broke into millions of tiny pieces.

“No!” he wailed in heartbreak.