So We Cry

The fireplace crackles as wood burns, warming the room and casting a soothing glow on everything. Curled up in the center of her bed, Cora rests with a book in her lap and a candle on her nightstand. With little effort, Cora brings her knees closer to her chest, lost in the text in front of her; a tale of two brothers going on a journey to a new world to find love. Cora has read the book at least six times, but it's a tale that never bores her. A knock on the door pulls Cora from her reading and she looks up, “Enter,” she calls out and the door opens. “Father?” Cora greets softly and Lord Kellin smiles at his daughter.

“I am retiring to my room for the night. Make sure you rest my daughter, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

“Yes, Father,” Cora replies and Lord Kellin walks over to her bed. Leaning down he kisses the top of Cora's head and smiles down at her.

“Sleep well, my daughter,” Lord Kellin beams and leaves Cora's room. Cora stares at the door and frowns. She is twenty-three and her father still treats her like a child. Rolling her eyes, Cora closes her book and set it on the nightstand beside her, no longer in the mood to read. Yawning, Cora leans over and blows out the candle. Laying down in bed, Cora makes herself comfortable and closes her eyes hopping that sleep comes to her fast; it does.



Outside in the shadows, Loki waits, watching the Barbarous household as everyone turns in for the night. The servants take their time cleaning the downstairs and Loki glances up at the third floor windows. Two rooms are filled with light and Loki smirks knowing who the rooms belong to. The lower levels of the household darken and Loki listens carefully to make sure that the servants are sound asleep. Turning his eyes back onto the windows on the third floor, Loki grins when the light at the farthest end goes out and soon after the room closest to him turns dark, minus the faint glow from the fireplace.

Keeping to the shadows, Loki moves steadily through the underbrush avoiding fallen branches, bushes and flowers. Stopping in front of the third floor window, Loki looks around him for pebbles and when he finds them he smirks. Bending down, Loki grabs a handful of pebbles and stands up straight. Glancing at the window, Loki looks around one more time before he edges closer to the house. Picking a pebble from his hand, Loki rears his arm back slightly and flicks his wrist sending the pebble flying through the air. It smacks against the window making a light tap noise and Loki waits a short amount of time before he throws the next pebble. “Come on Cora...wake up,” Loki mutters as he throws the fifth pebble a little harder then the rest.

“Cora!” Loki whisper yells. “Cora!” Loki throws another pebble. A shadow moves across the window and Loki cruses as the window opens just as he throws another pebble.

“Ow!”

“S-Sorry,” Loki snickers.

“Who's out there? Thomas if it's you I'm going to tell my Father,” Cora whisper yells, annoyance clear in her voice laced with sleep.

With a frown Loki steps out of the shadows and into the moonlight, “Who is Thomas?” Loki questions and Cora crosses her arms as she leans out of her window to get a better look at Loki.

“What are you doing here Loki? Are you hurt?” Cora asks, her eyes searching Loki's body the best she can with the distance between them.

“Hurt? No, now answer my question. Who is Thomas?” Cora rolls her eyes at Loki's persistence, but answers him anyway.

“He has been courting me for a month now. I have told him time and time again that I would like him to stop, but he won't listen,” Cora explains with a frown and Loki grinds his teeth not liking the thought of any man bothering Cora.

“I will deal with him,” Loki states and heads back to the shadows.

“What? Wait, no. Loki!” Cora hisses. She narrows her eyes and searches for Loki in the darkness. “Loki!” Cora whisper yells leaning out of her window more to get a better look.

“Stop before you fall out.” Cora gasps and jumps back from the window, making Loki laugh from his spot in the tree right by her window.

“You my Prince are a royal pain,” Cora grumbles and Loki laughs folding his legs out in front of him as he stares at Cora.

“So can I come in?” Loki asks and Cora stares at him like he has lost his mind. “Oh, don't give me that look. This is not the first time I've done this,” Loki points out and Cora shakes her head.

“We were kids! We didn't know any better,” Cora protests and Loki smirks, sitting up on the tree branch.

“So...are you going to let me in?”

“No. Go home Loki, I need to get to sleep,” Cora orders and grabs the window.

“We both know that you won't sleep,” Loki states making Cora pause in her action of closing the window.

“...I don't know what you're talking about.” Loki stares at Cora with a clam eyes, his face void of any emotion.

“Darling, you are a horrible liar,” Loki chuckles and Cora looks down ashamed.

“We can not all have a silver tongue like you,” Cora snaps and Loki raises an eyebrow at her tone.

“Cora-”

“Goodnight Loki,” Cora mutters and pulls her arms back, closing the window.

“I'm sorry,” Loki whispers, but Cora hears him.

“What?” Cora asks opening the window to see Loki's face.

Loki lifts his head up and stares right into Cora's eyes, “I said...I am sorry, that was out of line. Please accept my apology?” Cora fights back a smile and tucks some hair behind her ear. Opening the window wider, she steps aside.

“Get in here before you hurt yourself,” she tells Loki and Loki smirks. Standing up he loses his balance and Cora's eyes widen as Loki starts to fall. She reaches out and Loki catches himself on the branches with his hands. Loki starts laughing and Cora glares at him. “You are such an ass!” she hisses and moves away from the window as Loki pulls himself up back onto the branch and climbs through the window. Loki closes the window behind him and when he turns around he is shocked when Cora slaps him across the face. He stares at her with sullen eyes and Cora says nothing as tears start to blur her vision.

Swallowing his shame, Loki looks down at the floor and clears his throat. He reaches out and grabs Cora's hand, she tries to pull away from him, but Loki tightens his hold. With one tug, Loki pulls Cora in front of him and he wraps his arms around her waist. “I'm sorry...I'm so sorry,” he mutters into her hair over and over again. He didn't mean to scare her so badly, he was only having a little fun, it was a joke. “It was a stupid joke. I'll never do it again,” Loki vows and he tightens his hold on Cora. Cora fists Loki's shirt in her hands and blinks away her tears.

“You are so stupid,” Cora mutters and Loki nods his head.

“I am the stupidest man alive,” Loki agrees and Cora pulls away from Loki. She tilts her head up to get a better look at him and Loki looks down at her.

“I have seen worse,” Cora says lightly and Loki smiles. Leaning down he kisses Cora on the forehead and lets her go. Cora takes hold of Loki's hand and laces their fingers together. “Will you lay with me? Like old times?” Cora asks and Loki hears the real question behind her words. Loki gives Cora's hand a light squeeze and Cora lets go of his hand. Turning her back to Loki, Cora walks over to her bed and Loki's breath catches in his throat when he takes in what little Cora is wearing. Her nightgown is cream colored and made of what looks to be a light cotton blend that is slightly see through. It nightgown covers Cora's backside, but stops a bit higher then mid-thigh in the front, leaving very little to the imagination. For the first time in his twenty three years of life, Loki sees that Cora is not the little girl he grew up with, she has become a beautiful woman and with that thought it occurs to Loki that Thomas is not the only man courting Cora.

In the bed, under the blankets, Cora stares at Loki confused, “Are you coming to bed silly?” Cora asks and Loki smiles nodding his head. Cora giggles at Loki's response and she looks the other way feeling her face heat up when Loki pulls his shirt off over his head. Seeing Cora's reaction, Loki smirks and pulls his pants off. With the wave of his hand he covers his nude lower half with sleeping pants and crawls into bed with Cora. Getting under the covers Loki lays on his back and Cora slides right over to him, laying in his arms with her head on his chest. Loki smiles and kisses the top of Cora's head as he plays with the messy braid in her hair.

Cora traces random designs on Loki's bare chest and listens to his heartbeat. “I have not slept well in two months...I cannot forget what happened. Every time I close my eyes I see...I see-”

“Shhhh, do not talk about the past. The memory will fade with time. I am here and I will protect you while you sleep,” Loki promises and Cora lifts her head to look at Loki. “What?”

“Can you not just take it away?” Cora asks and Loki pulls away from Cora, sitting up in the bed. Cora sits up as well and Loki stares at her, the sleeve on her right shoulder has fallen down, showing Loki Cora's bare shoulder and a teasing amount of her breast. Loki turns his gaze away from Cora and she frowns. Sitting so that she is on her knees, Cora cups Loki's face with her hand and turns his head, making him look at her.

Gulping, Loki reaches out and places a hand on Cora's waist and the other cups her cheek, “Are you sure?” Loki asks, his eyes searching Cora's for any hint of doubt.

“I do not wish to remember seeing that child's death,” Cora whispers and Loki nods his head. He remembers the day too well. A young boy, no older then five ran out in front of a carriage to get his toy and the horses as well as the carriage ran him over, not even stopping. Loki made sure that the driver and the people inside paid the family of the boy with money and thief lives. It was the first time Loki had had to convince his father to kill another Asgardian; another reason why he is looked down upon by many.

“Close your eyes,” Loki orders softly and Cora closes her eyes. Leaning in closer to Cora, Loki breaths in her scent and gives her hip a light squeeze before he slides his hand up to her face. Not wasting another second, Loki starts to mutter a spell under his breath and his hand glow a dim greenish blue before the light fades. Cora opens her eyes and Loki slowly removes his hands from her face. “Do you feel alright?”

“Yes...should I not?” Cora asks looking slightly confused and Loki shakes his head with a small smile on his lips.

“You said your head was aching,” Loki lies. “I took the pain away.”

“Oh...thank you my prince,” Cora says and she hugs Loki, kissing his cheek. “Come lets sleep, it is growing later as we speak.” Loki and Cora lay down in the bed and Cora makes herself comfortable in Loki's arms. “Will you sing to me?”

Loki kisses the top of Cora's forehead and nods, “Close your eyes, darling.” Loki runs his hand up the length of Cora's arm to her shoulder and he stops when he gets to her neck, feeling the cool necklace against his fingertips. “You wear this while you sleep?” Loki asks and Cora nods her head.

“I never take it off,” Cora admits and Loki smiles. Tracing little nothings on the exposed skin of Cora's shoulder and arm, Loki starts to sing softly, like he use to do when he was younger. Cora yawns and snuggles into Loki, listening as he sings. His voice fades in and out and soon she is fast asleep for the first time in two months since the accident. Loki's eyes get heavy and he stops tracing Cora's skin, resting his hand on her waist. Closing his eyes, Loki yawns and gives up on singing anymore. With Cora sound asleep, Loki lets his mind go and drift into a deep sleep as well.