Holiday Crafts and Cuddles (for Harley)

[coldsong]

This is the first year Loki has had a Christmas tree. It's basically for the children, and they clearly picked out both tree and decorations, because the aesthetic is best described as eclectic. The tree itself is artificial, glittery white tinsel, and three-fourths of the ornaments are homemade. There are paper-chains, strands of popcorn and cranberries, little cut-out salt-dough ornaments, and a lot of little childish drawings on ribbons. There are also a lot of feathers, pinecones and little bits of holly and greenery and mistletoe all over it, and on the very top, rather than a star or an angel, is a model ship with the royal seal of Asgard painted on the sails.

When Harley arrives, the children have spread out the pieces for the construction of the Mari Lwyd on the floor around the tree. The horse's skull stands out--it's papier mache rather than real bone, but it's very realistic--and the pole and wires it's normally strung to are propped behind the couch. There are lengths of ribbon, glue and glitter and paints and beads and all manner of supplies laid out on the table.

The house smells of apple cider and gingerbread. These are not all Asgardian traditions; most of them are not, in fact, but anything to make the children happy.

Comments

[coldsong]

"I'd like that," he says of the bubble bath, and leans in to return the kiss. Maybe he lingers for just a moment, not because he's stalling with the gift, but because the peaceful evening and the soft kiss feels so right.

When they pause, he holds both hands up and opens up a pocket dimension, withdrawing the wrapped gift. It's a very large box, with a smaller, flatter box on top. The smaller box is tied with a green ribbon and appears to be black velvet--jewelry, presumably, but too big to be a ring or bracelet. The larger box is wrapped in pearlescent paper with a greenish sheen, like the aurora.

He places both in her lap and sits on the sofa next to her. "I hope you like them..."

The smaller box holds a black crystal tiara with a moon charm in the center, the corners of the crescent turned up in a way that's reminiscent of Loki's horns. The crystals themselves have an iridescent sheen and when she touches them, they glow subtly beneath her fingertips.

The larger box has a set of silk and velvet lingerie, blue-black and decorated with stars. Beneath them is a larger piece of silk, a very fine-spun celestial robe. It feels softer to touch than any man-made fabric.

"The cloak came from Alfheim, as well," he says softly. "I know you don't wear dark colors as much as you do bright shades, but I wanted to give you the moon and stars. Which is sentimental, but...well, there you are."

"I enchanted the tiara myself, of course," he adds. "I'm no longer an active Prince of Asgard, and Asgard is no longer a place, but you're effectively my princess consort. I thought you ought to have something."

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley is already smiling with the sight of the pocket dimension, and the gifts. She admires the wrapping paper of the larger box, and does her best to make sure it does not rip when she opens it.

She takes her time admiring the lingerie, tracing her fingers over the stars on the silk fabric. "I wear brighter colors to get other people to pay attention to me. I don't need to worry about that with you."

She takes her time looking at the tiara. She might not have a sense for magic, but she can still appreciate the fact that a part of Loki went into it. "A princess consort?" She looks up at him. "Isn't that like... the main wife?"

[coldsong]

"You got my attention that way the first time around," he laughs a little. "But no, you have it now."

He looks sheepish at the question she asks. "Well, that's the trick, isn't it? A royal consort is the spouse of a member of the royal family, and is normally from a noble house themselves. If I were still actually an active prince of Asgard, there would be no 'main' anything--I wouldn't have much of a choice. There would have been a political marriage."

"I'm not going to divide my lovers into spouses and concubines like Midgardian royalty used to. That's not fair, and no one agreed to that when we started out dating, and there's no reason to nitpick, because my father isn't breathing down my neck making me be proper."

He takes her hands and kisses them. "But you have been by my side for years, Harley, and while I cannot confer royalty upon you that I have no right to myself, I can give you this, and I can promise you that I will always want you, and be here for you."

"I think my four children do think of you as their princess. But I am not the Loki from their world...and I haven't said anything to Thor. I just wanted to give you something beautiful. Because you deserve that."

[sweetcandygirl]

"I definitely ain't classified as someone from a noble house. And I am glad that you have choice. That you get to make what works for you..." Harley runs her hands through his hair.

"You are the sweetest. You do spoil me..." She slides into his lap. And kisses his forehead lightly. "Thank you. For wanting to give me something beautiful."

[coldsong]

"Honestly, there was only one person from a noble house I'd ever have even considered courting, and she didn't like me one bit." He chuckles softly and closes his eyes when she strokes him.

His arms go around her when she slides into his lap, and he hugs her close. "You're welcome, kjaereste. And of course, you're welcome to wear any of it any time, and I hope I'll get to see you model it."

"Happy Yule, Harley, love. Now we're both princesses, as least when we're together."