Choices

Chapter 48
He'd been watching her for the past year now. Watching and nothing more. He'd never took much time to really take her in, at least not in the way he was now. Loki had never considered Cephera for anything more than his friend and student. He'd stayed true to his on vow to not get intimately involved with either princess, but things had changed. He had changed and the two of them were more apart of one another now than they ever were.
There was no doubt that Cephera had become a very different woman from the girl she'd first shown up as. Loki had an easy time seeing her like a little sister to a degree, but not anymore. Now, he viewed her with great interest, but there was always a catch.
Friendship, that was the catch. Everything between them had come to a calm understanding. He'd worked so hard to revive their friendship and to keep her that way that now he was afraid. He'd seen and heard of many courtships that began in friendship and that, when things turned sour, it ruined everything. Loki hated to lose her friendship and if he made a move to kindle a courtship and she turned out to not want one, then they could face awkwardness the likes of which neither of them had ever known.
So he silently watched her and tested her. He would see how easily swayed or open she was to the lightest of touches. He made sure that 90% of her time was spent with him. He spent less time training her and more time just hanging out around the palace.
He noticed more things about her mannerisms he'd never noticed before. The way she swayed on her feet, humming to herself when she was standing around bored. The cute rumple in her nose when she'd attempt to hold back a sneeze, and when she failed, the flutter of her eyelids before giving a giggled apology. These things and more he'd never noticed, he'd never watched her that closely.
Today, Loki had something special planned. Every moment he got her to blindly trust him, thrilled him. He set out with her at his side, taking her to the underwater cavern he'd given her the anklet in. He knew she loved that place. There was no need to guide her the second time, but Loki still clasped her hand before going under the water.
They emerged to the brilliant glow of the blue blossom and she sighed as she climbed out. Loki joined her and carefully pulled her to walk further toward the warm lagoon waters near the center. Right above them was the caverns moonlit canopy. "I've something for us both to try." He told her. "A spell I've been unable to conquer alone, perhaps with our combined energy, we will succeed." He grinned as she stared with interest.
"What is it?" She asked. Loki shook his head and without saying a word he stripped. He stripped right down to his bare ass. Midway, Cephera had turned her back to him.
"What are you doing?" She gasped.
"Calm down. The waters are far too warm to be wearing clothes." He jumped into the warmth of the lagoon. "Join me, it's too dangerous to try this anywhere but within water," he said.
She turned and looked everywhere but down at him. "I don't do nude." She replied.
"Come now, there is nothing to be ashamed of, besides you can't expect me to stay naked alone." He teased.
"You chose to undress, I didn't force you." She replied fidgeting.
"Don't you trust me at all?" He changed his tone to one of mock hurt. He watched her bit her bottom lip, a sign she was caving. Soon she'd shift on her feet, throw him an agitated glance, growl and hopefully do as he wanted, which was undress. It was the same thing she always did when cornered into changing her mind.
As if on cue, she shifted on her feet, this time she muttered something before throwing him 'the look'. Finally, she turned her back to him. "You better not look," she growled.
"On my honor, I will turn my back until you are in." He promised and did as he said he would. He listened to the soft sound of the fabric of her layered dress rustle as she undid its bindings. Afterwards, the whoosh as it fell to the ground. The sound of her bare feet hitting the cavern floor and then some final sounds as her undergarments followed.
The water rippled as she lowered herself in. "Wow!" She near coughed the words. "It's so warm."
"I told you." Loki chuckled. "Did you think I would lie just to embarrass you and make you undress?"
"Don't patronize me. I'm naked and I'm in, don't pull that guilt trip." She warned.
"I'm sorry." He chuckled again and turned to face her. "Are you ready?"
"I guess so, you haven't told me what we are doing yet." She replied, her chin was skimming the surface of the water as she attempted to keep her body hidden below the surface. Loki couldn't see anything anyhow, the cavern wasn't that well lit, even with all the blossoms. He was so close to her. Mere feet away from being able to simple pull her silken body up against his, but he stayed his hand. He was here to build trust and to once again examine her reactions to him. He would not attempt a move toward her unless he had a sign that she too was interested.
"Put your hands up like this and press your palms flat to mine." He ordered, holding his palms vertical. She pressed her palms to his, forcing her to tread water a little closer to the surface. It was amusing how cautious she was being, but if everything went as well as Loki hoped, she'd have no reason to hide from him.
What a fool he'd been all these years to not have noticed her. How much time he'd wasted on woman unworthy of him. Cephera was worthy, he was sure of it. "Loki," she said shaking him from his momentary thoughts.
"Alright, I want you to close your eyes and concentrate, pretend we are rising into the air toward the opening above, repeat after me," Loki spoke to her words of the spell and thankfully, Cephera didn't ask questions, but instead spoke the words. They echo'd them together and for a moment nothing happened.
Loki furrowed his brow and concentrated harder. He wanted this to work. A slight breeze caught them and Loki kept his eyes closed. Slowly, the water around them began to fall away, or rather they shed it as they rose into the air. Not quiet flying, but instead levitating, Loki and Cephera rose higher and higher.
He heard her gasp in surprise and when he looked at her, her eyes were wide and her face bright red. Her hands trembled and Loki caught her before she lost full concentration and fell. Loki was left floating amidst cascades of hanging vine flowers, his arm wrapped around her waist and the heat of her skin pressed to his. He had great control in this moment. He'd turned his body just enough to avoid poking her with his erection, there was no need for her to become frightened. Sex was not Loki's goal this day.
"Loki...," she protested unable to look at him.
"Look around." Loki told her ignoring her discomfort. It took her a moment before she managed to take a glance at her surroundings. Her mood shifted and her eyes lit up with wonder. She reached out on instinct and pulled a long vine toward her. Dark red blossoms hidden among the blue caught her eye.
Loki shifted his thoughts and pushed them up further, as they tipped the very top of the cavern a cluster of butterflies were disturbed by Cephera's fingertips and began to scatter around them in a frenzy. Startled Loki lost his concentration and both himself and Cephera fell back down to land with a messy splash into the water below.
Loki resurfaced choking on a mouthful and Cephera resurfaced chocking on her laughter. Her face glowed as she watched the show still flying around above them. "Loki, you're brilliant!" She cried splashing around.
The instant they fell Loki had been irritated that his plan had been interrupted, but now he smiled. Cephera was alight with joy, how could he call that failure?
"Not so brilliant, I just know what makes you smile." He replied. She stopped in her movements and stared at him.
"Is this all this was? Something to make me smile?" She sounded confused.
"You have many different smiles, the one you had only moments ago, is the one I like best." The comment seemed to change her mood. She reverted back to her awkward state but this time her gaze didn't turn from his. Loki fixed his eyes on hers and watched her blush get darker by the second.
"Thor comes back in two weeks," she said, plainly blindsiding the moment. She felt it, she had to. She had to have felt even an inkling of attraction to him, otherwise she wouldn't have brought up such an obvious topic to turn Loki's mind off intimacies. She was avoiding the natural building of sexual tension between them. Loki had never been so happy to hear anyone drop Thor's name so randomly.
"He is." Loki agreed. "Shall we get back to the palace. I'd like to notate my success."
"Our success." She reminded him.
"Mine really, I kept us up there." He pointed out. He would not push it. He got his answer for today, tomorrow was another day.
(Cephera)
She couldn't sleep, that look..., she could have imagined it all. Imagined that moment in the cavern when he looked at her with hope and longing. She'd wanted it so long, for him to look at her that way, that she instantly assumed she was reading into it all and then she dropped Thor's name knowing it would spoil whatever moment she was muddling together.
Over and over she thought about it in her head and pictured that look. In the end neither of them had said a word, which strengthen her resolve that she was overreacting on her hopeful soul. She ordered him to turn around and she'd dressed.
She hadn't forgotten how it felt to have his skin against hers. That moment he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her against him her mind reeled, stunningly her momentarily. No man had seen her naked. Bjorn had touched her only through her clothing and facing facts, she didn't have a whole lot to fondle through yards of fabric. Loki had been her first kiss, and now the first skin on skin contact she'd ever had, aside from her sister of course.
Her sister didn't know about Cephera's crazy day. She'd decided not to tell her when nothing of interest to Seraphina had happened. Interesting would have been Loki throwing Cephera to the blossom covered cavern floor and fucking her senseless. Seraphina didn't like simple things like flowers and butterflies.
Tossing and turning, she threw her blanket to the floor and sprawled out atop her bed to let the cool night air wash over her naked form. "Damn you, Loki." She whispered into the darkness. She'd never sleep this night. She was glad and annoyed everything went back to 'normal' between them in the end.
Jumping out of bed, she grabbed a thin robe and covered herself before going to sit out on her balcony. For a while, she allowed herself the moment to imagine what life would be like if Loki loved her. What being with him would be like, cuddled next to him while she settled down to sleep. All thoughts just urging on her hope and dashing them at the same time. Being around Loki in moments like the cavern, made it all that much harder to keep her true feelings in place.

Notes