His breath shuddered. He snatched his hands back and tucked them into his pockets, so he wouldn't be tempted to do something stupid.
But then he did something very stupid anyway, and he didn't know why other than he wanted to do it more than anything. He kissed her like a whisper on the back of her neck, and then once, more firmly, on her freshly-shorn hair. "You a beautiful no matter what you do," he whispered. "But you are most beautiful when you aren't being a fool."
He needed to go; she would wake soon, and he was starting to get a headache from too much magic, though he couldn't bring himself to regret anything he had done. He went to her jewelry box and opened it. All but one of her hairpins, he returned to the box. The last one, he kept for himself. Because he wanted to. Because it was the reminder of what Sif wasn't, and what he'd decided he'd help her escape. Whether she liked it or not.
Then he slipped out her window, still cloaked in shadows, and returned to the palace.
The kiss he had placed on her head was a black smudge of shadow that soaked into her freshly cut hair and spread, until everything had been dyed black as the shadows worn by Loki.
2/2
His breath shuddered. He snatched his hands back and tucked them into his pockets, so he wouldn't be tempted to do something stupid.
But then he did something very stupid anyway, and he didn't know why other than he wanted to do it more than anything. He kissed her like a whisper on the back of her neck, and then once, more firmly, on her freshly-shorn hair. "You a beautiful no matter what you do," he whispered. "But you are most beautiful when you aren't being a fool."
He needed to go; she would wake soon, and he was starting to get a headache from too much magic, though he couldn't bring himself to regret anything he had done. He went to her jewelry box and opened it. All but one of her hairpins, he returned to the box. The last one, he kept for himself. Because he wanted to. Because it was the reminder of what Sif wasn't, and what he'd decided he'd help her escape. Whether she liked it or not.
Then he slipped out her window, still cloaked in shadows, and returned to the palace.
The kiss he had placed on her head was a black smudge of shadow that soaked into her freshly cut hair and spread, until everything had been dyed black as the shadows worn by Loki.