Eirlys had been watching Loki in silence for several moments, and the longer she did, the more ridiculous his expression became. He was still sitting opposite her with his arms folded, his lips pressed into the faintest pout as though the entire kingdom had conspired against him by refusing to reveal one wedding gown. It reminded her so strongly of the boy he must once have been that she almost laughed.
"Quit pouting," she finally said.
Loki looked at her with offended dignity. "I am not pouting. Loki Odinson does not pout."
"You are. Exactly like when you were a child and someone refused to let you stay awake past your bedtime."
His expression immediately changed. "I have no recollection of that."
"Of course you don't."
He gave her a suspicious look, but before he could defend himself, Eirlys reached toward the small box resting beside her tea. Loki's attention followed the movement. She opened it and took out a ring. The amusement in his face faded into curiosity.
Eirlys held out her hand. "Give me your hand."
Loki obeyed, though he looked as though he had no idea what she intended. She gently took his left hand and examined the ring already resting upon his finger. It was the same one she had placed there on the day Loki had unexpectedly presented her with an engagement ring, leaving her completely unprepared and without anything suitable to give him in return.
At the time, she had been so caught off guard that she had searched for the only spare ring available. Her younger brother had given it to her earlier that day, and she had pushed it onto Loki's finger simply because she could not bear to let him stand there having given her something while she gave him nothing in return. It had been too small, too plain for him, and never truly belonged there. She had always intended to replace it and now she finally did.
Eirlys carefully removed the old ring from his finger and set it aside before taking the new one from the box. It was unmistakably Asgardian, crafted from rich metal with traditional detailing worked subtly into its surface. It was elegant without being excessive, expensive without appearing gaudy, and most importantly, it fit him perfectly. Loki stared at it and had nothing to say. Eirlys slid the ring onto his finger and adjusted it gently until it sat exactly where it belonged. The sight of it there pleased her more than she had expected. It looked right. It looked as though it had been made for him, for the prince of Asgard and the man who would stand beside her when the ceremony finally arrived.
"I guess you can now drop that childish attitude," she said, glancing up at him.
Loki looked at the ring again, his thumb brushing over its engraved edge. Something softened in his expression. Eirlys tried to shrug off the small guilt that had settled somewhere beneath her ribs. She had been teasing him moments earlier, but this had been something she had wanted to do for some time.
"I couldn't let my groom wear that thing to the ceremony," she added lightly. "What would people think?"
She laughed, hoping the sound would make the gesture seem less significant than it actually was.
Loki looked at her for a long moment. "You remembered."
Eirlys's smile became quieter. "Of course I did."
He looked down at the ring once more. The childish irritation that had occupied him only minutes earlier had disappeared completely. There was something almost reverent in the way he regarded the gift, as though the value of it had nothing to do with the metal or craftsmanship.
Eirlys leaned back and studied him. "Now," she said, her smile returning, "the look is complete."
Loki lifted his hand slightly, admiring the ring beneath the evening light, he completely forgot about the gown. And Eirlys, seeing the genuine happiness on his face, decided that perhaps she could tolerate his ridiculous pouting after all.
For Loki, the strangest part had not been the ring itself. It had been the moment before it, when Eirlys had taken his hand without hesitation and held it as though the gesture were the most natural thing in the world. He was accustomed to touch being calculated, whether it came from an enemy attempting to restrain him, an ally seeking reassurance, or someone trying to manipulate his emotions. Eirlys had done none of those things. She had simply taken his hand, removed the old ring, and replaced it with something she had deliberately chosen for him. The simplicity of it unsettled him more than any grand declaration could have.
He looked down at their hands and remembered the absurd little ring she had once pushed onto his finger because he had surprised her with an engagement ring and she had possessed nothing suitable to give him in return. He had never complained about it. He had actually grown strangely fond of it because it had come from her, even if it had been chosen in haste. Now, seeing the new ring resting properly against his finger, Loki felt something warm settle in his chest. She had remembered. She had noticed that it did not fit properly. She had thought about him even when he had not asked her to.
For a man who had spent much of his life questioning whether he truly belonged anywhere, being given something so thoughtfully chosen for him felt unexpectedly precious. He turned his hand slightly beneath the fading light, then looked at Eirlys. She was smiling at him, apparently pleased with the result. Loki found himself smiling back without even realizing it and Eirlys noticed immediately.
She had expected Loki to admire the craftsmanship, perhaps make some dramatic remark about finally being treated according to his royal status. Instead, he simply looked genuinely happy. There was no mischief in his expression, no carefully constructed charm, and no attempt to turn the moment into something clever. He looked down at the ring like a man who had been given something far more valuable than he had expected. It touched her. Perhaps more than she wanted to admit.
She remembered how hastily she had given him the old ring, embarrassed that she had nothing appropriate after he had placed the engagement ring on her finger so unexpectedly. She had promised herself that she would replace it when she could find something worthy of him. Seeing it finally resting there, properly fitted and unmistakably Asgardian, made her feel that she had quietly corrected something that had bothered her for weeks.
"You like it," she murmured.
Loki looked at her. "Very much." His voice was softer than usual.
Eirlys smiled and reached toward his hand once more, briefly touching the new ring with her fingertips. She had intended nothing beyond that small gesture of reassurance. She had no idea how differently Loki was interpreting the closeness. He had been watching her face rather than the ring. The warmth in her eyes, the softness of her smile, the way she had held his hand and touched the ring again had begun to blur together in his mind. For perhaps the first time, Loki stopped questioning what every gesture meant and simply allowed himself to believe what he wanted it to mean.
He leaned toward her, Eirlys barely had time to understand what he was doing before Loki closed the remaining distance between them. His lips pressed against hers. For one startled heartbeat, neither moved. The balcony seemed to fall completely silent around them, the evening breeze passing unnoticed as Eirlys stood frozen in surprise. Loki realized only then that perhaps he had misunderstood the moment entirely. And, judging by the astonishment in Eirlys's eyes, he had.
Before either of them could say a word, Eirlys noticed movement beyond the balcony doors, her eyes widened as she saw Thor standing inside the room. He had seen everything. For an instance, nobody moved. Thor's expression was unreadable, but the hurt and anger beneath it were impossible to miss. His gaze moved from Loki to Eirlys, lingering only for a second before his jaw tightened. Then he turned and walked away, not at all calmly, he stormed through the room and disappeared into the corridor before Eirlys could even gather her thoughts.
"Thor!" She immediately hurried after him, leaving Loki standing alone on the balcony, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.
Eirlys rushed through the doorway and followed Thor down the corridor, calling his name again but he did not stop. Behind her, Loki remained motionless, staring after them. He did not try to stop her from running after his brother oe simply? He just could not make himself move.