Chapter 1
It's not easy to
be in love with a demigod.
It all started when the sky above my house cracked open and an attractive black haired man dressed in gold with a green cape fell onto my flowerbed, just missing my thorny rose bushes. This man claimed to be Loki, the Norse god of mischief and lies. I didn't believe him at first; humans no longer believed in gods, frost giants and magic.
"Okay, so you
expect me to believe that you are a god? Granted, you did fall out of a crack
in the cloudless sky, but a god? From another planet? No way," I argued,
as I puttered around my kitchen preparing lasagna.
"I assure you I am Loki of Asgard. What will it take to convince you? Shall I call forth the Casket of Ancient Winters and coat this house with ice? Or would you prefer that I turn your cats into snakes? Perhaps I shall show you my true form. My frost giant form," he said.
I looked up, puzzled, from the sauce I was stirring and dropped the spoon on the floor as I watched Loki's transformation. His skin changed from smooth peaches-and-cream to a light blue with raised ridges. His eyes green eyes became a brilliant red. Only his height and black hair remained unchanged. The blue skin and red eyes in no way diminished my visceral attraction to him, although I could see that he was uncomfortable in his own skin. This was an obviously very unhappy and self-conscious man standing in my kitchen.
"Oh, you're so beautiful," I said as I dashed across the room to stand in front of him. I reached my hand out and traced the ridges on his face gently before placing a soft kiss on his cheek "Your skin is quite pleasantly cool. You would be marvelous to cuddle up with in the summer evenings to watch the stars come out. It's one of my favorite things to do, but I hate the heat."
I sighed, imagining us curled up on a lounge chair together-iced tea sitting on the table to the side-comfortably gazing at the stars while fireflies flicker and dance around us. In my imagination he brushed my lips with his chilled ones while my hands ran through his hair.
He raised an eyebrow as he looked into my eyes. He batted my hands away and raised his voice in agitation, "Frost giants are monsters, they tried to destroy Midgard a thousand years ago, and have brought nothing but pain and destruction to all of the Nine Realms! I should be feared, not flirted with! Odin should have left me to die in that temple. That would have been kinder than being lied to and treated as second best for centuries!"
I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him close to me. At first he struggled and tried to push me away, but before long his arms wrapped around me and I felt him start to shake with emotions he could no longer suppress. I suspected he was crying, but mindful of his pride I just held him while his story poured out of him. Eventually his hold on me changed from that of seeking comfort to that of passion.
We never did eat that lasagna.
The sex was
amazing, but we struggled to get along together outside of the bedroom. He was
accustomed to being a prince and did not enjoy scrubbing the toilet or changing
the litter box. I disliked his insistence on using magic to clean the dishes.
Plastic tumblers melt and glass baking dishes crack when exposed to magic.
He also insisted on using his magic to acquire things that he desired instead of paying for them.
I remember the first time I took him shopping for clothes. We had no trouble choosing clothes for a new wardrobe; Loki knows what he likes and what looks good on him. The problem arose at the cash register.
"Your total today comes to $1,423.53," the cashier said as she folded the last of Loki's shirts and placed it into a bag.
Loki flashed the cashier a brilliant smile while waving his hand at the register. He picked up the bags of clothes and walked out of the store without saying a word. The cashier handed me a receipt and told me to have a nice day before turning to her next customer.
I ran out of the store, grabbed Loki's arm, and pulled him around to face me. He jerked his arm away from me and frowned.
"Loki!" I threw my arms up in the air and yelled, "What the ever living hell was that? You can't just use magic like that, it's stealing. That poor cashier is going to have her drawer come up short; she'll probably lose her job, and go to jail!"
He rolled his eyes and continued walking to my car. A quick wave of his hand and all the bags were neatly packed in the trunk and the doors were unlocked. He climbed into the car and fastened his seat belt, "Your precious cashier will have her drawer come out just fine. I merely conjured the requisite amount of money directly into her drawer and implanted the memory of her handling the money into her brain."
Relieved, I started the car and headed home. We were silent on the trip home, until we pulled into my drive way. "On the other hand I am the god of lies, so I might have actually turned the money in her drawer into mice."
Startled by this statement, I hit the accelerator instead of the brake and crashed into my garage door. Loki just laughed at me, but he was kind enough to use his magic to repair the damage. After the damage was fixed, he took me into his arms and kissed me gently, "Forgive my little jest darling, I would not betray your trust in me with a lie. Indeed, you the only one that I am always honest with."
He could be
utterly charming and charismatic when it suited his purposes and ruthless and
cruel at other times. He charmed my parents and my friends with his mischievous
smile and silver tongue. He was frequently rude to service people, as he
considered them to be beneath him. As a result, I almost always tipped our waiters
40% instead of the traditional 20%. We spent many hours discussing his family
and the ways in which they wronged him. As the months passed, he became less
and less angry at the world in general and his family in particular. He was
still rude to people, but the venom in his voice disappeared.
We traveled to places I've only dreamed of. Loki would wake me on the weekends and we would teleport to Russia to eat blini for breakfast, followed by a tour of Machu Picchu's citadel in Peru, cumulating in an evening skinny dipping in a hot tub watching the Northern Lights in Norway.
For New Year’s Eve, we spent the evening at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Loki's hair had grown a few inches longer and for this evening he opted not to slick it back from his face, but instead to let it curl naturally. He wore a beautifully tailored tuxedo, the new emerald cufflinks I gave him for Christmas, and had not stopped smiling and laughing all evening.
Looking at him, it was easy to believe that he was a god, indeed there were quite a few women (and men) checking him out this evening. I returned from the restroom to find a stunning redhead standing up close to him, her hand resting on his chest.
"...show you moves that your partner has never dreamed of," she said as she ran her other hand through Loki's curls. He slipped his arm around her waist and held her close to him.
She glanced back at me and smirked, it was clear she was gloating over having stolen such a beautiful man away from his date. I folded my arms across my chest and grinned at her, waiting for the dressing down that was sure to come forth from my beloved.
"Oh, you ruttish earth-vexing giglet. You stand here eager to make mischief and chaos, on this most glorious of evenings. You attempt to coerce me, the very god of mischief, into debauchery most vile. You flatter yourself into believing that a low-cut dress and overly curled hair is attractive. Instead you merely appear cheap and classless. Begone now, you putrid whore. Your pathetic attempt to ensnare me shall not be successful tonight," said Loki as he pushed her away from him.
The woman burst into tears and ran sobbing in the direction of the restrooms, her heels clicking on the tile floor. Loki smiled at me as he took me in his arms and caressed my face. "My love," he pulled me flush against his chest, and pressed a kiss to my hair, "I fell from Asgard a broken man, unloved and evil. You provided me with nothing but kindness and understanding."
"Now, on the cusp of a new year," he continued as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, "I find that I am a new man, one loved by the most amazing woman to ever be born in any of the Nine Realms. I find myself ready to return to Asgard and make amends with my family. I will never again be king, but it is my desire that you return with me to the home I always knew, to be the queen of my heart and mother of my heirs. "
I could feel my heart beating quickly as I smiled up at my love. "Oh, Loki, I too desire to spend the rest of my life with you and explore the world you grew up in, but I fear that it will only bring you pain: I am still a mortal. You have thousands of years left to live, yet my remaining years will be short and fleeting to you."
Loki rubbed circles on my bare back and gave me a brilliant smile. "Is that your only concern, my darling? There is an orchard of golden apples on Asgard, eating these apples will grant you an immortal lifespan. Surely, the Allfather will grant my request for one. If not, why I shall simply steal one for you." His eyes glittered with mischief. "Indeed, that would be infinitely more amusing, I do still desire to cause mischief; I am not changed that much."
The idea of spending eternity with Loki was a little overwhelming. I took a deep breath as I rested my head on his chest. "I just have one question, when do we leave?" Loki laughed and pressed a soft kiss to my hair.
We returned to
Asgard through the secret paths between the realms that only Loki knows and
were greeted with open arms by his family. The reunion of Loki and his adopted
family was incredibly emotional. Frigga was overjoyed to meet me for she had
always wanted nothing more than to see her little Loki at peace with himself.
She insisted that Odin send for an apple from Idunn's orchard right away.
Odin was more than willing to do what he could to make things right with Loki again and Thor wept with joy to see his little brother home again. I think Thor had missed Loki more than anyone else. Thor's wife, Jane Foster, also cried. This was the first time she and Loki had met, but she has such a kind heart that she couldn't help but be moved by our arrival.
Loki protested the hugs his family bestowed upon him that evening, but I knew he was only pretending to object to them. He was quite moved to know that he had been missed and he didn't even try to hide his own tears.
Asgard celebrated the return of their lost prince and his bride-to-be for a full two weeks. There was feasting and dancing, story-telling, mock battles, singing, and drinking until the wee hours of the morning. At the end of the two weeks my darling Loki and I were wed in a private ceremony followed by a public feast. As a surprise to me, Loki asked Thor to go Earth and return with my parents. Loki knew I would want them to be there at my wedding and so they could see where I would be living.
Aesir women typically walk down the aisle alone, but I wanted my father to walk with me. When we reached the dais where Loki was waiting for me, my dad kissed my cheek and told me to be happy. He clapped Loki on the shoulder. "Take care of her, my boy," he said before walking back to stand next to my mother.
Odin offered them apples from Idunn's orchard which they declined. "We are not afraid of death, your Majesty," my mother said. "As long as my daughter and son-in-law visit frequently we'll be happy." We promised to visit them at least once a year, a promise that we faithfully kept. After my parents passed away I continued to visit their graves on their birthdays. I always brought flowers and told them stories of my life with Loki.
As the years went by, Loki and I welcomed three children into our lives. Our son, Ari, inherited his father’s magic skills and became the most skilled sorcerer that Asgard has ever seen. Loki was incredibly proud of his son's skills and often boasted about his exploits to anyone who would listen. Our twin daughters, Eira and Lifa, became ambassadors to Midgard and Jotenheim, respectively, and helped issue in an era of peace and prosperity throughout the Nine Realms that has lasted for millennia.
Loki never again became king of Asgard, but he has always been the most trusted advisor to Thor. Loki's quick and cunning mind makes him the only one Thor trusts to handle the delicate task of diplomacy with other realms, and he has been instrumental in shaping the realm into the wonder that it is today.
Footsteps behind
me pull me out of my reminiscing. It is late at night and I know that Loki has
come out on our balcony to encourage me to come to bed. I feel his arms wrap
around my waist as he whispers in my ear, "Come to bed, sweet one, I wish
to show you the depth of my desire for you. I desire to get you pregnant again.
You are never more beautiful than when you are round with child." I allow
myself to be guided back to bed where Loki worships every inch of me. "Mine,"
he says as we drift off to sleep.
My third pregnancy is an easy one. I have no morning sickness and my sex drive has increased a hundred-fold. Loki is frequently seen yawning during council meetings, much to Thor and Jane's amusement.
Loki spends hours caressing my belly as it grows and talking to our child. He tells us tales of his own childhood as well as fantastic stories of his own creation. One of Loki's private skills is playing the harp and singing. He has written each child a song, and they have all reacted differently to hearing their song while in utero. This little one likes to kick and is always very active while Loki plays his song.
While my pregnancy has been easy, the birth is anything but. Finally after many hours of pain and exhaustion our second son was brought forth screaming his way into the world. "Today would have been my father's 200th birthday. In honor of him, I would like to name our son James," I say as I cuddled my tiny child to my breast. With a tear in his eyes, Loki smiles at me and nods.
It has not always
been easy to love a demigod, but the rewards for me have been outstanding. The
sex has gotten better over time, we no longer bicker as often as we did when we
first met, but there are still a few sources of friction in our relationship.
Loki still uses magic to clean the dishes when visiting Lifa, and he still
often uses magic to get what he wants instead of paying for it.
He also delights in making his family laugh and he is a wonderful father and uncle. Loki is no longer the bitter insecure man that fell into my yard all those years ago. We are both happy with our life and thankful for the day that the sky opened and Loki fell out.
