Chapter 129
I stroked his cheek with my fingers. "Do you realize I was only strong enough to show my past, to tell everyone about my past, because you were there? I could've waited to tell you when you got back, but if you hadn't been there, I would've never gotten the words out. Only you could've given me the courage to show everyone. I relived every moment, every hurt, every humiliation. But having you there holding me tight made it possible. I knew I wasn't alone to face it." I stared deeply into his eyes. "If I was ever given the chance to go back and change things, to not have gone out my window that night as a child, I wouldn't take it, even though it meant losing my family again. I'd live those moments over and over as long as it brings me to you."
I saw the emotion swirling in his eyes. His lips parted as he stared transfixed at my face. He brought his hand up and cupped my cheek.
"I have never been so important to anyone before. I always knew my mother loved me, but to know how much you need me, it takes my breath away. Even with the Avengers I have always been separate. I am still learning what it means to matter to someone that much. I am so thankful you give me chances and do not hate me when I mess up."
"Lokes… I could never hate you. Even through all we have been through, I couldn't hate you." I stared at him as an idea hit me.
"What is it my pet?"
"Marry me."
He looked startled. "I do not understand love. We are already getting married."
"Marry me tonight. Here, in this spot. Right now. I want you to marry me tonight. Do our own personal ceremony. Give our vows to each other. I don't want another night to go by without you as my husband."
His eyes gleamed. "But love, you do not want a wedding?"
"Loki. I can always have the wedding later. There is nothing stopping that. But with you, I want it just us. A special private moment. We can use the wedding later for us to privately celebrate it but please, I want you as my husband tonight."
Loki gave me the biggest, happiest smile I had ever seen. His eyes shone as he raised my hand and kissed my finger before sliding the ring off. "Nothing would make me happier my love."
He helped me to stand, and he held me tight for a moment. "I had thought I could not be happier when you said yes. But it pales in comparison to how I feel hearing you demand I marry you now."
He let me go and we held hands as we stood facing each other. He looked at me and my breath caught at the amount of love in his eyes.
"Ariane, I vow to you here and now to always be by your side. To love you and cherish you always until the end of time. For not even death would stop my love for you. You are my true love, the one I have waited over a thousand years for. The one I will spend the rest of my thousands of years with. I give you my heart, my soul, everything that I am. I am a man that is completely, deeply, unconditionally in love with you. I am honored beyond words to become your husband on this night."
He slid the ring back onto my finger. The green stone flashed, and I saw it but filed it away for later.
"Loki… I never thought to find anyone that would love me. I had thought I would always live my life alone. But then I found you and my life changed. You become more precious to me with each passing day. You move me, make me strong, and inspire me to become a softer, loving woman. You're my everything. You truly are my heart and soul. I don't exaggerate that. I would die before I let anything hurt you. I worship who you are as a man, not as a God. I want nothing more than to become your wife tonight. Not even death can part us. I'll always find my way to you."
I imagined a ring and felt it form in my hand. I slid it on his finger and the purple stone in my ring and the green and purple bands I had woven his ring with flashed. I reached up and kissed him.
It seemed time stood still for us as he pulled me close and kissed me deeply, his love tasting so sweet on his lips. I pulled back and a warmth of green and purple light ran over us and then shot up to burst in the sky in a shower of green and purple sparks. They rained down on us as we looked up in awe and wonder. As they settled over us, I felt a brush of power and then the sparks faded.
"Was that you my sweet?"
"No. I wonder what it was. I did see our rings flash as we put them on each other. I wonder if that means anything.?
Loki looked at me sharply. "What do you mean flashed?"
"Well, when you put my ring on the green stone lit up and faded. Then when I put your ring on, the purple stone and the bands I wove for you on your ring glowed. Then I kissed you and the light and sparks happened. And that power I felt."
Loki laughed in delight and grabbed me and spun me around. "Oh my sweet sweet love. You are so perfect in so many ways. I have never been happier or more in love with you."
I laughed with him. "I love you too, but can you please explain what happened."
"Oh, my darling. Our vows were accepted by all the Gods of the Nine Realms and the Allfather. It seems he was listening after all and gives his blessing. Rings only light up like that when the Gods approve. We are now officially married. Husband and wife. For all time. Not only do we have Odin's approval, but our magic has made sealed and binding vows."
I hugged him excitedly. "Oh, my Kokoro no Yokubo… my husband. I am so happy that we've not only gotten your mother's blessing, but the blessing from the man who acted as your father all these years. Odin may not've always demonstrated his love, but what I got from Thor is he always loved you and thought of you as his son, not Joten. Not as a Frost Giant or a trophy. Just his son. He knew you were too clever to be burdened to be king which is why Thor was always thought to be king. It wasn't that he wouldn't have a Frost Giant on the throne. You were always worthy of the throne, Loki. But he wanted more than that for you since being King is a huge burden. He may have let his wisdom cause him to handle it in the wrong way, but it was always his thoughts and hopes for you to be able to do anything you wanted."
Loki dropped to his knees. He stared at the sky. "Thank you, Father. I regret everything. I had always thought you despised me for what I was. How could I see you loved me when we had learned all our lives that Frost Giants were the enemy. I never stopped caring for you, Father. It is why those thoughts hurt so much. To me I have always had no father but you and it killed me to think I meant nothing to you, that you never saw me as a son."
Suddenly there was a blinding light hitting the sand a few feet from us and I shielded my eyes from all the flying sand. When the light vanished and the sand settled, I looked and found an older man, a patch over one eye, staring at Loki with a proud smile on his face.
"Father?" I heard Loki whisper next to me.
I looked at him curiously. So, this was Odin. Not quite what I expected but I did feel a little intimidated to see my now father-in-law standing in front of me. Like, what the fuck do I say?