Lovers of Myth
Sweet Poppy

The association was happy with Mr. Kelson's updates. He was congratulated on having such a young yet brilliant scientist on his payroll. He took the compliments for Ivory but was already aware of just how special she was. A woman who could tame two gods and bring them to their knees? She was something else, but he refused to voice such a thing.

He had spent his childhood running toward his father and the goals the old man set for him. It was drilled into his head constantly that a leader must make sacrifices for the greater good. Though his father would probably spit at him for such a thought, he had already decided his fate.

He had refused to procreate just to have an heir to this bloody puppet stand. The knowledge that this was all a cover for some otherworldly god prison pissed him off. If that were true it meant he was simply playing house, so to speak. It was all for show.

To be honest, though, it would make this all more sensible. He had never known the true benefactor that shoved their money into this chaos. How did they find these quack doctors who liked to torture people? It was a question he never really wanted answered.

Now, standing in a dark room with a figure made of pure light, he listened to every word spoken within his mind. It was like a psychic debriefing, and he hated it as much as he was relieved by it. Now he would be able to put an end to the darkness that had spread within his own soul. Perhaps it wasn't too late.

Soon, the truth would be revealed. When that happened he could make a choice, just as everyone else would be allowed to do. With nothing left outside of this place to make his life meaningful, he pondered the options. It wouldn't be easy, for anyone involved.

As the days passed Ivory's mind cracked and trembled with the quakes of the past. The other scientists seemed to be extra busy, ignoring her and each other as they bustled about. She was too far gone to care about their indifference.

Like a robot, she sat in her room. Looking over useless papers at a cold desk she refused to sleep. It was odd as if she had emptied herself in order to find space for the past, but now it all felt unreal again. She was off balance, her blonde hair marred with a few streaks of black. Soon she may not be able to hide behind her mortal mask any longer.

Spending her days in a daze, she was losing her mind. One minute she was in her office, or standing in a hall, and then she was in another realm altogether. The flashes of another life made living this one unbearable.

"You should rest."

Loki stood behind her as she sat at her desk staring at the same word she had tried to read many times before. Her vision was blurred, tears all she could answer with. He helped her out of the chair and into the bed the association had finally given her. It was a nice, big piece of worthless furniture. She had been fighting sleep for so long that she might have already passed out for all she knew.

Her fingers moved over the sheets as she reached out to hold his hand. He looked over her face with concern, but she just felt exhausted.

"Stay with me, please."

He nodded, the emotions in those sage eyes too much for her to fight through at the moment. Hand in his hand, she closed her eyes. He stayed with her just as he promised, getting into bed beside her before long. In his arms she felt safe again, their minds and souls connecting on another plane.

"Tell me we will be alright."

In a bed of clouds, they lay together peacefully. Loki, her lover, held her hand in this dream world. Turning on his side he brushed a hair from her face and smiled.

"How could we be anything but perfect, my sweet little poppy? When we are together there are no flaws in this life or any other."

Looking into his eyes she wanted to wipe everything but her time with him away. Still, it was too late to fall back into the past as it once was. If she wanted a future she would have to trudge through the mud to find her diamond.

"I was pregnant with his child."

Tears began to fill her eyes as he watched her struggle to speak. He nodded, pulling her into his arms as she sobbed. It was true. When she left Dhuosnos and the chaos of their sins behind, she already knew she was carrying her lover's child.

For centuries her womb had been barren no matter the effort they put in. Then, as if to spite her, the fates had filled her with life in a time of horrible trauma and death. Still, she refused to stay with him. What he had done she could not forgive.

She traveled worlds, times, and universes to hide from him. In doing so she grew weak. Before she knew it she was lying in a field of poppies, the cool breeze of a summer morning warming her face. She had finally found peace.

"When I found you in the poppies I knew there was something ethereal about you. Your divinity had dragged me from Asgard like the soft scent of hope. I couldn't ignore it."

She smiled as he looked upon her with pure love and admiration. He cared for her so deeply. It was something she hadn't felt in a long time when she found herself asleep in that field. He took her to Asgard with him and nursed her back to health. In their time as doctor and patient, they grew increasingly close.

He was remembering her back then, her long black hair soft as god woven Vicuña silk. She was a brilliant source of knowledge and empathy. They shared stories of their lives, journeys, troubles, and desires. It had been a thrilling, sweet time in his existence.

Leaning down he kissed her gently, her blue eyes now black as they once had been. It had been a few days since her mortal eyes had disappeared, going in and out. She was regaining her immortality, but in exchange, she would need to make a choice. He could so easily forget their troubles and run away with her, but it would only cause her more harm.

"Within your angelic, obsidian eyes I finally felt peace. It was like all of the darkness around us, any negativity was warded off by a simple look of love from you. I would've conquered worlds for you, but all you wanted..."

She smiled, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. Her soft whisper was almost heartbreaking as she remembered their promises to one another.

"Were your arms to hold me through the cold nights."

They had met by chance, but their time together was fated. Within his arms, she found love and desire once more. A true passion of the heart that held her and protected her. He watched her expression change as she remembered their past. It hurt to know this was the lover he had once sworn his life to, yet she was also different. Like walking a tightrope, one wrong move could make him lose everything once again.

They learned so much through one another, their passion growing with each moment. He watched her change, her figure rounding in the middle as a child spread out her womb. Still, he never once judged her or asked for anything more than she was willing to give.

"I wanted to protect you and the child, regardless of the father. We decorated the nursery, your smile so bright it stole my breath away with happiness. Garnering the support of Asgard was easy enough once they met and spoke with you. A true goddess, my honorable queen."

She reached up to rest her hand against his chest. In her memories, she saw them playfully arguing over curtain colors for the nursery. They seemed like a normal, mortal couple. Yet the room they stood in was made of the finest materials and protected by dozens of guards all suited for war. Her love had made sure she would be protected at all times. She couldn't help but smile, his green eyes dark with emotion.

"You wanted gold curtains?"

He nodded, her smile stealing the breath right out of his lungs.

"There was nothing more I wanted though, than to have you in my arms. We watched every sunset and sunrise together. As the skies changed with the seasons you changed as well."

She saw what he saw, their world suddenly chilled within the fog of the past. Her smile disappeared as he moved to sit on the clouds beside her and she sat up as well. She couldn't look him in the eye as she recited what she saw happening.

"He found me. Dhuosnos slipped into Asgard, looking for me."

Loki remained silent, holding her hand as her free hand moved to rest on her flat abdomen as if to protect something that was no longer there. Her chest grew tight, heartbreaking as she tried to continue.

"He found me inside your palace, but you wouldn't let him near me. He killed the guards, but more came. He was hurt but refused to back down, even at the threat of death. You halted the guards, taking on the task of ending him in your own hands. You knew his death could bring catastrophe."

He nodded, tears in his eyes as he watched her relive the worst events of their life together.

"You fought for what felt like an eternity, titans shaking the realms. Something mortals below would think of as thunder. I was so scared for you and then..."

Her hand jumped from her stomach to her mouth as she looked up to catch his gaze. She watched as a silent tear ran down his cheek.

"It was my fault. I had a sudden pain that made me gasp and distract you. I feared it was the baby, but then I heard Dhuosnos's war cry and before I knew it I was in front of you. I didn't know what I was doing. I just felt the fear of losing you and the baby and it was like my body made the choice for me. Instead of stabbing you, he struck me down."

She looked down, her hands limp in her lap now.

"I just wanted to protect you. I couldn't lose you. His sword had been blessed by the light of the afterlife. It had been a gift to him so long ago, with one use in it. It had the power to take one soul. If he had used it on you I would've lost you forever."

He spoke up then, voice deeply accented.

"I lost you, instead."

She nodded, tears staining her cheeks. She couldn't look up. She felt horrible for leaving him so suddenly, but she still had so many questions.

"What of my baby? How did I get here?"

He didn't want to relive this but knew she needed answers. Now that she had remembered it all he should be able to answer her without any repercussions from the fates.

"The baby could not be saved. Dhuosnos took off before I could get my head on straight enough to catch him. We held a ceremony in your honor, your child was sent off to the afterlife with you. Then I began my hunt for the bastard that had stolen you from me. By the time I found him, he had already struck up a deal."

She felt so sick, the thought of her child dying because of its father made her want to scream. How could he track her down after hurting her so much already, then immediately try to kill the god she had fallen in love with? Had he learned nothing from murdering her soldier friend?

"He found the fates and made a deal in order to save your soul. I don't know the details, but I was told I could follow to find your soul or be left behind. Honestly, I thought it might be a trap, but I had nothing to lose."

He didn't mention that there was one condition for his ticket on this insane asylum ride. He wasn't allowed to help her make a choice, or push her down any certain path. He was simply here to bring her home if she wished for it. She frowned, looking up at him then.

"You had everything to lose. I would never want you to be hurt for my sake. Why do you think I did what I did?"

He leaned in, kissing her forehead before smiling with those shimmering emerald eyes.

"For you, my love, I was also willing to do anything."

She couldn't necessarily argue with that.

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