Naomi woke gradually, as though simply emerging from a heavy sleep rather than a blood-loss induced unconsciousness. Upon prying her eyes open, she was greeted with a grand sight of arched ceilings plated with gold, intricate designs crawling up to their peak. For a moment, she was reminded of ancient cathedrals in Europe, or perhaps even the waiting room for heaven.

But she soon noticed the soft pressure on her hand. With a sigh, Naomi twisted her head, and noticed the mass of raven locks laid down on her bed. Loki appeared to be asleep, having sat at her bedside for Odin knows how long. Naomi's mouth twitched into a smile at the sight of the man, and she took special care not to move her hand trapped under his, for fear of waking him, She slowly sat up, peering at the fresh white bandages wrapped around her thigh, modestly covering where a strip of her SHIELD uniform had been cut away to have access to the wound. The medics had done good work, as there didn't appear to be any blood, and Naomi couldn't sense any pain from the area. A silent huff emerged from her lips, as Naomi realized that her favorite outfit was ruined. Her only spare had been trashed on Sakaar, mainly from her abrupt landing on the planet. Hopefully the Asgardians would have something for her to wear, but she and Loki appeared to be alone in the giant room as she craned her neck about. Having properly taken in her surroundings, Naomi finally decided to wake the sleeping prince.

For a moment, she debated on how to wake him, but on instinct she found herself running her free hand through his hair, gently pulling apart any tangles her fingers came across. Loki began to stir, a soft groan emitting from his lips as he slowly awoke. His head rose from the bed, and Naomi watched with a smile as his eyes alighted upon his hand still covering hers, then quickly switching to her face. His expression morphed in an instant, the lines of worry creasing his face smoothed over as his gaze darted about her person, checking that she was completely awake and healthy.

"I promised you, remember?" Naomi teased, leaning in toward him with a grin. Loki chuckled lightly in return, and leaned himself forward in his chair until his forehead touched hers, their eyes wide with light.

"I had faith in you." Loki whispered, so that the rest of the world would remain ignorant of the exchange. As a response, Naomi pulled away from him only to lean in again, and deliver a kiss to his temple. Loki grinned, and with the worry of her health gone, his mischievous side made its return.

"That's the second time you've done that." He cocked a brow, smirking up at her. Naomi recognized his lilting tone, deciding that she too, could play his game.

"Shall I make it a third?" She flirted, giggling when Loki tried to jump from his seat to steal a kiss from her, his emerald eyes dancing with amusement and passion. Naomi was able to dodge his advance, twisting herself to the side, and pressing her lips against his cheek instead. "I win," she murmured. Loki cocked his head to the side, a smile playing on his lips as he studied her for a moment, as if trying to memorize her expression. Naomi sensed a shift in his tone, and curbed her excitement, staring back into his eyes as he stared at hers.

Now that Loki had risen, he stood taller then her, still sitting on the medical bed, and so she was forced to tilt her head upwards as she gazed at the man. After a soft moment, his eyes dropped to her hands, which she had folded in her lap. Tenderly, he reached down and took both of her hands in his, his thumbs smoothing over the back of her hands as he pondered in thought.

"Naomi," he said, and brought his eyes back up to hers. They were vulnerable. Distantly, Naomi was reminded of the night when she had seen Loki, standing in the Asgardian gardens from her window, catching a glimpse of his tender expression under the moonlight before he vanished. "I-" he started, but was interrupted by the opening of the ward's door.

"Excuse me." Said a young woman, her attire implying her to be a member of the medical staff. "The Lady is required for her fittings." Despite clearly interrupting an intimate moment, the woman's face showed no hints of fear even as Loki whipped his head around to send her a glare. Naomi's reaction was less violent, even though it did pain her that she wouldn't be able to know Loki's words until later. Curse the MCU's melodramatic cinematic timing.

"It's alright." Naomi said, removing her hands from his and running a hand over his forearm in comfort. When Loki looked back at her, his vulnerability was gone, but Naomi had faith that she would see it again. "I'll see you soon, love." With a disappointed sigh, Naomi carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed, placing her weight onto her right and hesitating with her left, her eyes on the bandage. However her hesitation vanished when two hands landed on her waist, supporting her as she gradually balanced her weight onto both feet. Miraculously, she had no problem standing. Naomi had no doubt that she would have a nasty scar from the blast, but functionality was her priority, so she hardly minded. Even once she was standing strong, Loki's hands lingered on her waist, before finally dropping to his sides after a kiss goodbye.

With that, Naomi walked down to the doorway, marveling at her healed leg while pondering what Loki could have wanted to tell her. She greeted the medic at the door, exchanging polite smiles before the girl disappeared to the hallway, Naomi clearly meant to follow. She cast a final glance at Loki, who remained standing by the bed, watching her go with his hands clasped behind him. His expression was strained, but it seemed to soften when she smiled at him a final time before exiting the ward, catching up to the medic in the hall.

Alone in the ward, Loki sighed deeply to himself.