Status: Moment by moment
Obedience
Comfort
When Loki woke up he was in his own bed and his lips were throbbing; he opened his mouth to groan, but screamed and slapped a hand over his mouth when the strings pulled at his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut against the prick of tears, but they snapped open when he felt a hand pull his own away from his mouth, and there she sat, Toni, with a pained look in her eyes and a damp cloth in her other hand.
Loki watched Toni while she cleaned the fresh blood from his mouth, taking in her blue hair, eyes, and skin. He'd seen it (her) when they'd left Midgard, of course, but he hadn't looked very closely. Now, however, he had the opportunity to take it all in and all of it (hair, skin, eyes, nails) was some shade of Tesseract blue.
Toni's eyes shone as if they were a light source of their own and Loki thought he would be able to see them in the pitch black of night because they were so bright. Her hair was shiny, reflecting the light from the open window and casting small strips of it across the bed, and the strands seemed to dance across the icy blue skin of her arms and shoulders. Her nails were a more solid shade of blue than her skin, not as much as her hair, but her lips- oh her lips- they were the darkest shade of Tesseract blue there was, looking almost purple mixed with the natural redness of her mouth, and when her tongue poked out to wet her lips, he saw that her tongue was the same shade of purple, and he wondered what else the Tesseract had changed.
Loki watched Toni rinse the cloth off and squeeze the excess water out one handed and wondered why she didn't use both hands as it would be more effective; eyes wandering down the line of her left arm, Loki found his answer: She was still holding his hand. He thought he would be irritated by it, but he just stared at their joined hands, perfectly content to take the comfort she offered him.
It was strange; he had felt a similar feeling in Stark's tower when he'd held her close, pulling her against his armor, but he had thought it was because of the pain he was causing her. Now he wasn't causing her pain, but he still felt it, like a warmth spreading through his chest.
Loki heard her sigh and looked up to see that she had an angry, disapproving expression on her face; at first he thought to let go of her hand, thinking she had only been trying to keep him calm while she cleaned his wounds, but then he saw that her gaze was directed at his mouth. She reached out and fingered the skin around the stitches, touches feather light, and the anger seemed to grow in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but snapped it back shut, lips pursing together as she glared at the string holding his mouth closed as if it prevented her from speaking.
When he felt her hand pulling out of his, he let out an involuntary whimper, hand tightening around hers; Toni gave him a small, sweet smile and ran a finger lightly down his nose, causing him to close his eyes at the foreign (but pleasant) sensation. He opened his eyes again when he felt the cloth touch his wrist and he looked down, opening his hand to see blood smeared on his palm. Toni gently cleaned it off just as she had done for the wounds that caused it, and wiped the blood off her own hand as well.
Loki watched her fold the cloth and set it on his bedside table, then she turned to him and pulled his blankets up to his chest; once she was satisfied with that, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Loki's forehead, Loki leaning into the touch, and whispered, "Get some sleep."
Loki nodded and settled himself, and just as he was about to fall asleep, Toni stood from her position on the edge of the bed. Loki's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, and she turned back, confusion written across her features. Loki lightly pulled on her hand in response, eyes looking to the bed next to him and back to her. Toni vaguely gestured to the small bed against the wall (a servant's bed, Loki's mind supplied), thinking he just wanted her to sleep as well, but Loki shook his head and glanced between the bed and her again, tugging more insistently on her arm.
Toni rolled her eyes and huffed, but Loki could still see the amusement- and was that.. affection?- in her gaze as she indulged him, gracefully slipping herself under the covers next to him. Loki smiled as much as the stitches would allow (very little), and closed his eyes, slipping his hand back into Toni's, sleep coming quickly to his tired mind.
Loki watched Toni while she cleaned the fresh blood from his mouth, taking in her blue hair, eyes, and skin. He'd seen it (her) when they'd left Midgard, of course, but he hadn't looked very closely. Now, however, he had the opportunity to take it all in and all of it (hair, skin, eyes, nails) was some shade of Tesseract blue.
Toni's eyes shone as if they were a light source of their own and Loki thought he would be able to see them in the pitch black of night because they were so bright. Her hair was shiny, reflecting the light from the open window and casting small strips of it across the bed, and the strands seemed to dance across the icy blue skin of her arms and shoulders. Her nails were a more solid shade of blue than her skin, not as much as her hair, but her lips- oh her lips- they were the darkest shade of Tesseract blue there was, looking almost purple mixed with the natural redness of her mouth, and when her tongue poked out to wet her lips, he saw that her tongue was the same shade of purple, and he wondered what else the Tesseract had changed.
Loki watched Toni rinse the cloth off and squeeze the excess water out one handed and wondered why she didn't use both hands as it would be more effective; eyes wandering down the line of her left arm, Loki found his answer: She was still holding his hand. He thought he would be irritated by it, but he just stared at their joined hands, perfectly content to take the comfort she offered him.
It was strange; he had felt a similar feeling in Stark's tower when he'd held her close, pulling her against his armor, but he had thought it was because of the pain he was causing her. Now he wasn't causing her pain, but he still felt it, like a warmth spreading through his chest.
Loki heard her sigh and looked up to see that she had an angry, disapproving expression on her face; at first he thought to let go of her hand, thinking she had only been trying to keep him calm while she cleaned his wounds, but then he saw that her gaze was directed at his mouth. She reached out and fingered the skin around the stitches, touches feather light, and the anger seemed to grow in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but snapped it back shut, lips pursing together as she glared at the string holding his mouth closed as if it prevented her from speaking.
When he felt her hand pulling out of his, he let out an involuntary whimper, hand tightening around hers; Toni gave him a small, sweet smile and ran a finger lightly down his nose, causing him to close his eyes at the foreign (but pleasant) sensation. He opened his eyes again when he felt the cloth touch his wrist and he looked down, opening his hand to see blood smeared on his palm. Toni gently cleaned it off just as she had done for the wounds that caused it, and wiped the blood off her own hand as well.
Loki watched her fold the cloth and set it on his bedside table, then she turned to him and pulled his blankets up to his chest; once she was satisfied with that, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Loki's forehead, Loki leaning into the touch, and whispered, "Get some sleep."
Loki nodded and settled himself, and just as he was about to fall asleep, Toni stood from her position on the edge of the bed. Loki's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, and she turned back, confusion written across her features. Loki lightly pulled on her hand in response, eyes looking to the bed next to him and back to her. Toni vaguely gestured to the small bed against the wall (a servant's bed, Loki's mind supplied), thinking he just wanted her to sleep as well, but Loki shook his head and glanced between the bed and her again, tugging more insistently on her arm.
Toni rolled her eyes and huffed, but Loki could still see the amusement- and was that.. affection?- in her gaze as she indulged him, gracefully slipping herself under the covers next to him. Loki smiled as much as the stitches would allow (very little), and closed his eyes, slipping his hand back into Toni's, sleep coming quickly to his tired mind.
♠ ♠ ♠
As you can probably tell, this chapter was from Loki's perspective instead of Toni's; I will be going back to Toni's P.O.V. but occasionally it will be from Loki's. Hopefully this isn't confusing, but it will always be pretty clear about who's perspective it is; if it isn't, let me know and I'll figure something out. I feel like putting Loki's P.O.V. or Toni's P.O.V. at the beginning of a chapter would just be very... I don't know, out of line, shall I say, with the story, but if it's a problem, I will think of something. :)