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❛ ᴇᴛᴏɪʟᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴍᴏᴏɴʟɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ
ᴇʏᴇs ꒱


❝ I SEE THE MOONLIGHT IN
YOUR EYES / AND IT FEELS
LIKE PARADISE  ❞

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A S G A R D

Since Eleanora and Loki's birthdays were so close to each other, they decided to celebrate them together, alternating years on whose birthday they actually held the party. This year, it was Eleanora's turn. While she would have been happy to spend the entire day in bed with her husband, Odin wouldn't hear of a quiet affair— he always went all out in commemorating the Star's day of honor. So, even though she would have to face a ballroom of people later— most of whom she didn't know— the fact that she spent the morning with Loki almost made up for it.

The god was usually the first to wake up as he preferred not to sleep most nights anyway. He roused from slumber slowly, not feeling the need to rush into the day as he usually did. Rather than getting up and dressing immediately as was his habit— for if he lingered amongst the sheets, Eleanora would certainly be able to convince him to never leave— he instead admired his wife's sleeping form.

Her head was resting against his bare chest, the rest of their bodies equally as naked thanks to a long love-making session the night before. She was curled on his left side, as she always was, with her ear pressed right above his heart. One of her hands was resting on the other side of his chest, her palm flat against his skin. His arm was wrapped around her waist to keep her close while they slept. Underneath the blankets, their legs were tangled together.

As Loki gazed at his wife, a soft smile spread across his lips. He couldn't help but marvel at her beauty, even in the peacefulness of sleep. Her blonde hair— longer now than when he'd first met her— was splayed across the pillow in a golden wave of silk. Her features were softened in the dim light that filtered through the curtains and her lips were slightly parted as she breathed rhythmically. As he gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, feeling a rush of warmth and affection flood through him.

Eleanora stirred slightly at the touch, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly woke up. She blinked her eyes open, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips when she saw Loki looking down at her. "Happy birthday, darling."

"Happy birthday, my love," she replied, earning a surprised look in return that made her grin; she rarely used any terms of endearment as she quite enjoyed the sound of Loki's name, not to mention that she was shy about such things. When she did use them, it was rewarding to watch the pleased, stunned expression cross his face. After a moment, though, she sighed and curled up closer to her husband. "How I wish we didn't have the ball to attend later. I would much rather spend the day with you."

A soft smile graced the prince's lips as he shifted, propping himself up on one arm to gaze down at her. "As do I. But fear not, my dear wife. We have this morning together, and I have plans to whisk you away from the festivities later."

"Oh?" the blonde implored hopefully. 

But it was clear that Loki would answer no more of her questions. To ward her off from interrogating him further, he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. He kissed her deeply, moving his lips against hers almost languidly in a way that made her arch towards him as she sought out more. Loki pulled away just as she expected him to go further, leaving her breathing heavily as she felt a stab of disappointment. It didn't last long, however, as he lowered his head to let his lips brush against her ear, making her shiver as they touched sensitive skin. "Your first present, darling, is me."

Eleanora, predictably, blushed at his words and expected him to pin her arms above her head as he often did, his hand so much larger than hers that he could hold both of her wrists in one. He was positioned well enough to do so, nearly completely on top of her. To her astonishment, he only used the stance to hook his leg with hers so that she was on top of him, straddling his waist. The God of Mischief gave her an impish grin as he stretched his hands above his head and conjured lengths of silk that bound his wrists and ankles.

She could only stare at him in shock as she felt her face burning from the sight before her. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she swallowed nervously against her dry throat. Although she'd never spoken her desire aloud, somehow Loki had known that this was what she had pictured in her head many times before— her husband, bound, and completely at her mercy. She knew her dominance was an illusion— one of the things he was best at— as he could free himself at any time. She knew that, but the fact that he trusted her enough to be this vulnerable was what she found most appealing.

His eyes were a dark emerald as they twinkled up at her playfully. "Well, darling, do with me what you will."

She certainly didn't need to be told twice.

✧ ✧ ✧

When they had finally roused themselves from bed after a drawn-out love making session, they reluctantly parted ways to spend the majority of the day separately. It wasn't intolerable, though, as Eleanora's face flushed every time she thought of the ragged moans that she had pulled from her husband's lips as she worked on the finishing touches of her present. While she was normally a generous person, her least favorite part about their combined birthdays was how hard it was to shop for someone who, literally, had everything at his fingertips. Loki always managed to get her exactly what she wanted in a way that was both extravagant and simple, leaving her feeling subpar about her own gift.

Worse still was that she tried not to use the palace's money as that would be like Loki buying himself the present, even if he hadn't been there when she purchased it. Though he had assured her each birthday they shared that he the grandeur of the gift didn't matter to him, it still left her with a limited budget to work from. She supposed that she could have offered sex as a present and wrapped herself in some pretty negligée, but that seemed like the easy way out— she knew he would enjoy that, regardless. (Besides, he had already done that and copying an idea was even lazier than thinking of one herself. But that brought another thought to mind: he'd said it was her first present. If he had more planned, she knew what she was creating would never be sufficient enough.)

It was too late to change tactics, though, and so once she had wrapped the gift, she went to get ready for the ball. Her dress for the evening was, as always, a deep emerald green that would match her husband's colors. It was a mixture of Asgardian and Alfan styles, with a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt. There was intricate silver beading started at the top of the sweetheart neckline and thinned out into little strands at the skirt. A silver body chain decorated the exposed area of skin on her chest and acted as delicate straps for the dress. The separate, curved shoulder pads were similar to Loki's but had longs sleeves that draped past her fingers. Her blonde hair was curled into long tendrils with the front strands pulled back and away from her face. 

✧ ✧ ✧

Guests began to gather in the throne room shortly before nightfall. The chatter of voices was a steady hum, heard even past the thick stone that the palace was built from. Torches glittered along the wall, throwing golden light over the partygoers as nobles of all stations mingled together in their best finery. Eleanora stood just outside the back doors as she waited for the cue to enter the room. She only had to suffer under everyone's attention for a brief period of time while Odin made his customary speeches about their birthdays, then she was free to hide amongst the crowd.

Loki slid into place next to her, wearing his ceremonial armor. She smiled at the sight of his slicked-back hair, knowing how much it peeved him to look so presentable. His expression softened at the sight of her in his colors, as it usually did whenever she wore them. He was the possessive sort, she'd learned, and he never seemed to tire of the visible reminder that she was his. Stepping closer to her, he leaned down to whisper in Eleanora's ear, "you look stunning, my love."

Eleanora blushed, feeling grateful for Loki's words of encouragement. She leaned into him, enjoying their brief moment together before they had to face the crowd. As the chatter in the throne room began to die down, Odin's booming voice echoed through the hall, commanding everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, I welcome you all to this joyous occasion. Tonight, we celebrate another rotation around the sun for two of Asgard's most notable individuals: my son, Loki, and our Star, Eleanora."

Of course he'd ignore that I'm Loki's wife, she couldn't help but think a little bitterly. She pushed the thought away; this was supposed to be a happy occasion. Taking the cue, the two royals joined the Allfather on the dais as the crowd applauded for them. Eleanora felt a pang of nerves as all eyes turned to her and Loki. But she took a deep breath, reminding herself once again that this was their night to enjoy.

"Another year has passed, and it is with great joy that we gather here tonight to honor their birth. I know that many of you remember the previous Star, Aðalbjörg, with much fondness. Its sacrifice and bravery shall never be forgotten, but we turn to our new Star with the same hope as we entrusted to her sister. Though the weight of our realms' many aspirations may have made a lesser being crumble, Eleanora has shouldered them with the grace and determination that we have come to expect from Stars.

"As we raise our glasses to toast its continued success, let us remember that its destiny is intertwined with ours," Odin concluded, raising his own goblet high. "May our Star's light shine brightly for all eternity."

It took every ounce of her learned self-restraint not to grimace at the king's birthday wish for her. If she hadn't been a princess, if she hadn't been a Star, she would have run off the platform and hid in her room for the rest of the night. The Allfather was always placing such high expectations on her— insisting that she would be just like her predecessor— that he had never quite seen the person she was. Even more unpleasant was the fact that he had all but sidelined his son in favor of giving her empty praise; she knew she fell short in every way in his eyes, though he would never admit that to the realm. Once the applause had finally died down and the dancing and conversing had resumed, Eleanora wasted no time in tugging Loki from the dais.

"That was terrible," she breathed as soon as they were out of earshot, burying her face in her hands. "He just kept going on and on about all of the supposed responsibility that I have, and-and I didn't want any of that," she finished miserably, peering up at her husband through her fingers.

Thankfully, Loki knew her better than anyone and he was only sympathetic to her discomfort rather than annoyed, as he often was when Odin praised Thor and not him. He gently pulled her hands away from her face, holding them with his own. "I know, darling, but you handled it with such poise, as always," he reassured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Why don't we go find my brother and the Idiots Three? I'm sure they will easily lighten your mood."

She squeezed his hand, keeping hold of one as she dropped the other, knowing that the suggestion irked him, but he'd still made it anyway. His insult of the famed trio of warriors made her lips quirk in amusement, and she wondered how long he'd been waiting to use that one.

It didn't take them long to find the crown prince; his booming laugh preceded him, not to mention the gaggle of women that flocked to him during these celebrations. His friends had similar followings, but each smaller in size than the last. Thor noticed them quickly and he abandoned the woman he'd been flirting with to greet the birthday couple. He opted to clap Loki on the back so hard that it would have made the younger prince's legs buckle if he had not been expecting it. The blond was much gentler— relatively— with Eleanora and greeted her with a bruising hug.

"Happy birthday, brother, sister," he told them, his blue eyes sparkling as brightly as ever. "I hope you both are ready for a night of festivities fit for Asgardian royalty! Father has arranged for the finest feast and of course, I helped to guide him with the best entertainment in all the Nine Realms to honor this special occasion."

Loki exchanged a knowing glance with Eleanora, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm sure it will be quite the spectacle, brother. Though I do hope your idea of 'entertainment' doesn't involve another one of Volstagg's storytelling sessions."

"Perhaps if you have tired of my stories, Loki, you'd finally be willing to join in with some of your own," Volstagg replied good-naturedly. "We plan to retire later this evening for a small soirée, should you wish to join us." He held up a hand as the god opened his mouth to reply. "I know my invitation is in vain and you will, by all accounts, deny us your presence, but keep in mind your lovely wife. She has yet to join our little gatherings and may like to hear our tales for the first time. You are welcome to join us, Lady Eleanora, even if your husband does not."

"Oh," the Star answered, surprised. "Thank you. I'll. . . I will think about it."

Fandral leaned towards Hogun to stage-whisper behind his hand, "that means no!"

Eleanora flushed and curled her hand into the fabric of her dress. "No it doesn't! I just. . . don't know how I'll be feeling later. I would love to join you all if the evening permits."

Hogun cast his friend a tired look, as if he were just humoring the lord's antics, before he turned to the blonde and gave her a subdued smile. "Happy birthday, my lady."

"Come, wife," Loki said, tugging on her hand lightly. "I tire of my brother and his friends; if we should seek them out later, I need a respite from them now."

✧ ✧ ✧

After making the required rounds of greeting other courtiers and nobles, Loki made their excuses and led her outside. Eleanora gratefully closed her eyes for a moment against the cool summer night, enjoying the change of temperature after the stuffy ballroom. Offering his wife his arm, the god and Star made their way along the gravel paths of the well-kept garden. While the sun had set long ago and stars twinkled in the sky, the trails were well-lit thanks to softly glowing fairy lights that were strung up above them.

The pair fell into a companionable silence, relishing the stillness after escaping their crowded party. Eleanora clutched a frosty glass of lemonade in her hand and she sipped it periodically, savoring the sour-sweet taste that reminded her strongly of starlight as its flavor burst on her tongue. The condensation on the glass cooled her fingers, forcing her to shield them with the long sleeve of her ballgown to keep them from freezing completely. It only hindered her drinking a little as she was worried about the glass slipping from her grip, so she took extra-cautious sips.

Ever the observant husband, Loki noticed the shift in her grasp. He wasted no time in gently prying it from her fingers to hold in his own hand. "I'll hold it for you."

Predictably, her face turned a bit pink at his display of gentlemanly-ness. It was true that he was better suited for holding cold things; he tended to run cooler than the average Asgardian so the chill didn't bother him nearly as much. When they were dealing with soups or other hot things, Eleanora was less affected by them— which made sense as she had, originally, been made of heat and light as she wheeled about in the solar system.

The blonde released it without protest, sending him a grateful look. Whenever she wanted to take a drink, she would pull his wrist closer to her and carefully tilt it as she set her lips on the goblet, keeping her hands away from the cold. She could acutely feel the god's gaze on her as she did so and knew to expect some sort of comment in three. . . two. . . one: "I must say, darling, I am jealous of that glass. It has had your lips on it more than they've been on mine today."

Eleanora released his wrist and buried her burning face in her hands. "You're terrible. Besides, that's not even remotely true."

"So does this mean you won't kiss me?" he asked, the mischief dancing in his eyes contrasting with the faux-pout of his lips.

She sighed, knowing that she would never pass up an opportunity to kiss him— and he knew it, hence the smugness that made his mouth curl into a smirk at her lack of answer. Not wanting to give him more fuel, she grasped the collar of his leathers to pull him to her level and stood on her toes to close the distance between them. Even with their temperature difference, his lips were always warm when they were pressed against hers. Her eyes closed contentedly as he kissed her softly, one of his hands still holding her glass of lemonade while the other looped securely around her waist.

Eleanora was breathless when they pulled apart, her stardust-colored eyes gazing up at her husband with unconcealed affection and love. Sometimes it was hard to meet her eyes when she looked at him like that— the open honesty without a hint of deceit meant that everything she felt for him was genuine. And sure, Loki knew that his mother, his brother— even his father— cared about him, but as royals they had never been forward with their fondness. He was still adjusting to the fact that someone did love him, without reservations, though she knew better than anyone the kind of person he was.

Unable to bear her gaze for long, he retook her hand in his and lightly prompted her into motion once again. Curious now— as she'd just thought that this would be a short respite before they dove back in— she followed him willingly, wondering what he had planned (because of course he had something up his sleeve.)

They had entered the hedge maze that had been grown in the center of the garden some time ago, and she realized they were heading purposefully towards the center. Although she was too short to see over the top, Eleanora couldn't help but try and strain to see over the bushes anyway. The god chuckled, noticing her efforts— but he didn't give into the temptation of spoiling the surprise.

As they finally reached the heart of the maze, Eleanora's eyes widened in surprise. In the center of a clearing, surrounded by lush greenery and blooming flowers, stood a beautifully decorated table set for two. Candles flickered softly, casting a warm glow over the scene, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of roses through the air.

The Star gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she took in the sight before her. She turned to the prince, her eyes shining with delight. "Loki, this is incredible," she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. "How did you manage to arrange all of this?"

He tugged her close with his free hand until her back was pressed against his chest. Leaning down so that his lips brushed against her ear, he murmured, "let's just say that this is a small feat compared to my promise to move the stars for you."

She gave him a shy smile in return, standing on her toes to press a soft kiss to his cheek, admitting sheepishly, "as much as I love what you've done, this. . . this is all too much. I fear it puts my present to shame."

"Nonsense, darling. I would be delighted with anything you decided to give me, even if you stripped naked right here and told me to have my way with you," Loki said, his smirk returning to his lips.

He'd expected his wife to blush as she often did, but instead she confessed, "I did consider that, actually."

The bark of surprised laughter that he let out made her grin brighten in response. "I fear I have corrupted you, my dear wife."

"I would gladly be corrupted by you," she told him with such sincerity that it made the impishness disappear from his expression. While he was still reeling from that comment, Eleanora turned on a dime, as if the sentiment had been as easy to express as water flowing down a river. "Why are there two cakes?"

"I. . . well. . ." the god cleared his throat, not used to being rendered speechless by anyone— but if he were to be, it made sense that it had been his wife's doing. "Would you believe me if I said that it was one for each of us?"

The blonde frowned. "I would, but I can sense the seiðr around the second one. Is it an illusion?"

She walked forward until she stood in front of both cakes. Before he could catch her wrist, she had brushed two fingers in the air, through the magic. She was a bit startled when her fingers hit something solid— the actual cake. So a glamor, then. Twisting to look back at her husband, she wondered, "why are you hiding the second cake?"

"Ah," Loki began, sounding uncharacteristically uncertain. "Yes. Well, you see, I had the notion— a foolish one, really— that I could. . . ahem, bake."

The Star stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth partly open from the. . . thoughtfulness of his gesture. He studiously avoided her gaze as he brushed an invisible speck of dust from his clothes.

"Let me see it," she pleaded immediately. "The one you made."

"I would rather you not," he answered. "It is not worthy for you to see it, especially compared to the other one. Hence the glamor."

"My love," Eleanora started, and he sensed that he would cave shortly after she finished speaking. "Please. I would be happy to have one cake made by your hands than two made by anyone else. I do not care for how it looks, so long as you tried."

Once again, he could see that she was being honest. With a great sigh, he waved his hand to let the magic fade around it. "Please do not think too harshly of me, darling."

While it was true that she could immediately tell which he'd made and which had been made by the palace staff, she found the mistakes endearing. Some of the lime wedges that topped it were cut in half to better cover the whole cake, rather than the perfectly spaced whole ones on the other dessert. They were also cut unevenly so that some of the rinds were thicker than others. Loki's cake was filled less than the professionally-done one, with a bumpier surface as he hadn't smoothed it out properly. His crust was also slightly darker, with the ridges being more irregular than its counterpart.

"I want to have that one," she declared, pointing to his tart.

"Are you sure, darling? I would not be offended—"

To prove her point, she picked up the knife and cut into the cake. They took their time eating their dessert, appreciating each other's company as they talked about everything and nothing. It was only once they were full that Eleanora gave her husband a playfully suspicious look. "Have you got anything else planned that I should know about? A fireworks show, perhaps?"

He sent her a devilish grin in response. "What a delightful idea, darling. I should keep that in mind for next year." He was unphased as his wife groaned ("that is not what I meant") and continued, "there is the matter of presents that we still have not exchanged."

"Presents?" she echoed in some alarm. "Loki, this is more than enough! Anything else and I should have to resort to making love in the garden."

His grin became roguish at the thought. "Well, we have yet to defile this place, darling, so I would not be opposed to the suggestion. But the cake was hardly a gift; that is something to be consumed within a few days. A real present should last much longer."

With a flourish, he produced a long, thinnish, inflexible package from one of his interdimensional pockets. Eleanora took it from him carefully, her heart skipping a beat in her chest as she wondered what it could be. Loki watched her with carefully hidden eagerness as she uncovered the flawlessly wrapped gift. She let out another gasp at what lay beneath the paper.

Two beautiful, jade daggers lay in her lap. The hilt and sheath were made of the same color, with the latter being of green leather. A tiny, ivory tree— Yggdrasil— was carved at the very top of each handle. Three small gems (pink, blue and yellow) were situated on its branches in approximate placement of some of the realms. Similar pink gems were decorated underneath the join between the ivory and jade, and where the jade met the silver of the blade.

The sheath itself also had ivory detailing at the opening and tip, the pink gems arranged in a flower pattern. When she pulled the dagger out of its protection, the blonde felt the sting of tears at the sight of the gold Asgardian lettering— which she could now read, thanks to her lessons with Loki. You and me, until the end. The other dagger had the same words but in Alfan.

"Loki, these are gorgeous," she murmured, unable to speak much louder due to the tightness in her throat.

"I thought it was about time that you had your own pair," he replied, the pleased note in his tone undeniable. "You have improved far and above over the years. Happy birthday, dröttning."

Eleanora looked over at him, her lips parting slightly in confusion as warmth rushed to her cheeks once more. "Loki. . . I'm not a queen."

His gaze was soft as he met hers, and he stood to come over to her side of the table. Scooping up one of her hands, he placed it palm-flat on the left side of his chest. "You are my queen. The queen of my heart, always."

"Oh," was all she could say in response as a lump formed in her throat. It was very rare that he was sentimental; she could count on one hand the number of times he'd said 'I love you' first— whereas she had initiated the exchange too many times to count. "Well," she continued faintly after a moment, "I suppose that means I should tell you happy birthday, konung." 

Then, with her free hand, she produced a round, wrapped package from one of the pockets in the folds of her skirt. He released her hand to take it from her, easily pulling it from the wrappings. Revealed was a small, silver disk that was engraved with two serpents that were encircled in the shape of an S. It was a timepiece, and on the other side of the clockface in the empty part of the case, Eleanora had inserted a tiny canvas just big enough to fit the space. Greens and blues made up the sky and ground, with brown for the tree that the two figures were leaning against— she'd painted the scene from Alfheim, when she had first confessed her love for him.

"It's Magnus' timepiece. My mother gave it to me just before we left for Asgard," she explained, "but I had the original embellishment sanded down and a new one put on for you. It's not brand new, so I hope you don't mind—"

"Eleanora," Loki interrupted her warmly, "it's not about it being new or old. This is beautiful, no matter its status. I shall cherish this forever."

Before she could try and come up with another reason to insist that it wasn't good enough, he slid it into his (real) pocket, just over his heart— where it would stay in every outfit he wore for the rest of his life, as a symbol of hope even when it seemed that all had been lost.

Setting the daggers in her lap on the table, he grasped her hands to pull her to her feet. "There is one more order of business that I should like to conduct with you while we're here."

Embarrassed, the blonde made a face. "You know I was mostly joking about the having-sex-in-the-garden thing, right?"

A mischievous smile curled on his lips. "Make that two orders of business. But no, dröttning, that's not what I was thinking of." He bowed gallantly in a sweeping gesture. "I was hoping that I might have this dance, my dear."

Silvery light burst into life around the Star's head as he surprised her for the third time that evening. She remembered how happy she'd been dancing in his arms on their last night in Vanaheim, and she wondered if he did, too, and that was why he had asked. As a rule, Loki generally hated anything to do with conformity, which included ballroom dancing.

"You're voluntarily going to dance with me?" she asked, beaming at him. "I would love to."

"Please, spare my toes," he teased her, also recalling how he'd nobly pretended not to notice all of her missteps on the pirate ship.

✧ ✧ ✧

Later that night when they rejoined Thor and his friends, they sat clustered around the fire (despite it being wholly unneeded as it was the middle of summer) as each of the warriors regaled them with tales of the past. Eleanora listened to them with half an ear, content to be surrounded by friends and warmth and merriment. She sat on the floor with her back to the flames, her dress pooled around her knees, which she'd pulled up to her chest. Her arms were wrapped around her legs and she tilted her chin to look up at the others that surrounded her. It wasn't the most ladylike position, but she hardly cared, and no one made a comment. 

The silver shine around her head had hardly faded all evening, though it was less striking than it had been under the moonlight. However, the crown prince took notice of it and passed his hand through the light in awe, still mesmerized by the Star's power.

"Sister," he said in a soft voice— or as soft as he could manage, being the God of Thunder— so as to not disturb Volstagg's story. "You are glowing."

The blonde turned her head to meet his eyes as she gave him a serene smile. She shrugged lightly to punctuate her simple answer: "I'm happy."

A/n: since I'm not confident in my description abilities, here are my inspo pics for the items/clothes mentioned in this chapter (all images taken from Google):

Also, please forgive me for the initial scene. I am very uncomfortable with writing smut (even though I wish I could), and this is the closest I have ever come to doing so. It took me 2 hours to write ~800 words since I kept having to take TikTok breaks to recover from the cringe I was feeling 😭Trust me, if I could write smut, sub!Loki would be my first attempt. . . Ik he's a dom but there NEEDS to be more of him as a sub.

I should rename the next act "angst central." Muhahaha!