Loki glanced around before taking a breath a d sitting in the sand and digging his hands into the sand. He closed his eyes and let his magic flow through his veins. He muttered a few words before watching his magic spiderweb around the beach, searching for any sign of Avalin's return
Avalin sank to a sitting position and rubbed her face, "Don't freak out, don't freak out, he's probably just at Lillian's. Yeah! Maybe he's getting something to eat before he comes back here, or maybe he's asking Thor for help." She sighed and looked over at Queenie, "Who am I kidding, I'm lost, Loki is nowhere it be found, and if he is somewhere on Earth, he's probably in a cell locked away by whatever government has him now."
The magic wound its way around the beach, reaching out to Avalin and circling around her. Loki glanced up as one of the strands of magic glowed brighter than the rest "Avalin," he breathed, slowly standinand following the strands
Queenie meowed and looked down at the ground, causing her to look as well and gasp at what she saw. A deep green strand of something below the sand circling around her. She scrambled and stood up, jumping away from it though it quickly circled around her again. "What in the world," She said, scooping up the kitten and standing like a statue in case whatever it was would hurt her. It almost reminded her of Loki's magic, but his was never that green when she was around, and it couldn't have reverted to that color in the little while she'd been gone.
Spot charged ahead of Loki, following the green magic. Loki muttered her name under his breath, his voice having gone raw from calling her over and over again
Avalin didn't move even as she spotted a dog running across the sand towards her. It reminded her of Spot almost uncannily, but Spot wasn't a full grown dog, not like this one was. She looked at it curiously, still not moving from the spot despite Queenie mewing several time almost panicked sounding and trying to jump out of her arms as the dog came closer.
Spot stopped a few feet away from where Avalin stood, trotting in a circle and looking up at her expectantly.
Loki watched carefully from the shadows of the forest near the beach, wanting to be sure that it was Avalin, wanting to be sure that she wouldn't turn to dust again in his arms.
"Spot?" She asked in a whisper, tipping her head to the side slightly and crouching down. Queenie jumped out of her arms and his under her legs, watching the dog with a defensive stance. Spot barked softly and trotted closer, just in reach of Avalin's arms. She reached out to pet him and soon he was nuzzled up next to her as she wrapped him in a hug and pet Spot. "Why are you so big now? You were just a puppy when I last saw you. And where is Loki? Did he leave you behind?"
She would hate h. He had gone back on his vow to be the best man he could be fire her. He'd resorted back to killing and destroying. He'd been reckless and ignorant about others problems. Loki shut his eyes and glanced away
Spot turning in Avalins grasp and pointed with his snoot towards the wooded area where the string of magic was coming from
Avalin followed the trail of magic with her eyes before scooping up Queenie and looking at Spot. "Lead the way Spot." With that, he trotted off towards Loki and Avalin followed with eyes looking and hoping for any sign of him.
Spot reached loki first in the clearing. He bent down to recieve the dog in his arms before standing up and turning to see avalin.
He smiled weakly, trying to hold back the emotions that threatened to wash over him "Hello, love."
She froze when she made it to the clearing and saw him, a mix of emotions rushing over her. Opening her mouth to speak, she set Queenie down and whispered in disbelief, "Loki?" Avalin rushed towards him but stopped a step away, reaching out and touching his arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She wrapped him in a crushing hug once she was sure it was him and buried her face in his chest, not letting go of him.
He wrapped her in his arms, holding her as close as possible in a hug just a tight as the one she offered. "My angel, my love, my queen," he burried his head in her hair, silently letting his tears streamed down his cheek in both happiness and relief. He breathed in a Shakey breath and held her tighter "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry my love." He managed through his sobs
"You're here," She breathed, silent tears of happiness and joy streaming down her face, "You came back." Avalin pulled away just enough to look up at him and she hooked her arms over his shoulders and just looked up at him with a smile and tears running down her face, "You don't have to be sorry for anything, love. Just answer me one question, how long was I gone?"
He whispered away the tears that stained her face and wrapped his arms around her waist "far too long for my liking." He tore his gaze away from her to where spot sat patiently waiting "quite a bit, I'd say around 5 years." He said, pulling her close
"Five years?" She repeated to herself, hugging him close again and burying her face into his chest, "I missed five years to be with you, and to see Spot grow up.." Avalin went silent and just let herself think and recover, "Did you look for me that whole time? I don't think you would've waited on a beach for five years for me."
"I tried, had some trouble for a year or so when there was no trail to follow, and when I was put in a cell." He muttered the last bit softly, "I managed to get out a few days ago and came here." He stroked her hair soothingly "I never stopped looking for you."
Avalin was silent, her mind wandering from what he said to just how much time she had missed. Her stomach grumbled quietly and she hugged him tighter, almost like she was afraid if she let him go he would disappear and she wouldn't see him again. "Can you tell me everything when we get back home?" She asked in a softer voice, "As much as I want to know right now, I just..can't think and process everything. There's too much going on in my head."
He smiled softly and nodded " of course my love." He glanced down as a small blackform stumbled towards them
"Hello Queenie," he said, crouching down and schooling up the kitten. He laced his hand with Avalin's, not wanting to loss contact with her again. "Want to go eat at Lillian's?"
“Sure, food sounds good right now,” She replied, fingers laced into his, “Is Lillian still around? Did she disappear like me?” Her whole demeanor showed how still worried she was, though she was slightly more relaxed when she could hold his hand and be close to him.
(happy birthday!!!!!)
He started to walk off in the direction of the cafe. "No, she didn't disappear. Though I think her son might have. She wasn't too happy when I came." He explained
She nodded in understanding and followed right alongside him, Spot trailing along behind them, "Loosing a son and not knowing if he would ever return would be really hard."
(And thanks!!!!)
He nodded "it was hard for all of us." He said softly, rubbing his thumb along her hand. "Five years without knowing where half the world went. Five years of searching and not knowing where you went."
“It’s sure going to be different with everyone back now,” She said softly, messing with his fingers as they made their way to Lillian’s, “I can tell everyone had adjusted to us being gone. Life is going to be so hectic for the next few years.”
He nodded again in agreement "did anything happen to you when you were gone? Did you go somewhere? We're other people with you? Or was it like a deep sleep?" He asked, hoping to get some insight on what she experienced to make sure it never happened again
Avalin went quiet for a moment as she thought of how to describe the place, “I was all alone, I remember that part, and we did go somewhere. It doesn’t really make sense, but it was a place of pure white…there was nothing besides the color white all around. No people. No one to talk to. It…it was terrifying. Time there isn’t normal either. The five years you said I was gone? It felt like five months.” She shivered slightly and shook her head, “I never felt hungry, or tired, or any other normal thing. I was just…there. When I tried to call out to others, my voice only reached my ears and no further. I could still move my body, but I couldn’t walk anywhere. There wasn’t an actual floor I was standing on either. I wasn’t falling though, I was really just…there. This might be creepy, but maybe that’s what it’s like to die.”
His hand instinctively tightened slightly on her hand and his jaw clenched slightly. He stopped and pulled her to him "I'm sorry I couldn't keep the promises I made to you," he muttered, knowing that most promises were empty with fact or proof and hating how even though he poured everything into the promises he'd made for her, they'd be just as empty without proof
“Love,” She said softly, looking up at him and leaning against him, “You’ve kept all your promises. I know you have. You came back for me, you took care of Spot. Loki, you kept your promises as well as you possibly could.” Standing on the tip of her toes, she pressed a loving kiss to his lips, “I love you, that hasn’t changed in all the years I’ve been gone, and right now, I want to go get some good food with my husband and our pets.”
Loki kissed her back and nodded, making a note to make up the lost time later late. He breathed in hevily "If my Queen wishes to eat then we shall eat." he kiled softly and kissed her once more before they continued walking