Just for Aesthetics
Summer was disgracefully and mercilessly descending its fevour on the poor civilians of New York. At a blaring 97°, you swore you could feel your skin detaching from your body like old wallpaper every time you positioned a foot out the door. All your life, you complained about the hindrances of summer, and with good reason. Summer was insistent and brought nothing but bothersome insects, sweat, and chafing. However, a little voice in your head protested with reason. Perhaps, you thought, if you trapped yourself in this prejudicial mindset forever, you'd be permanently miserable.
Despite how fried your brain was from the heat, you decided to find the pros of a scalding summer. This little idea led you to upstate New York, along the Hudson River. You had (unfortunately) decided to partake in a picnic on a particularly elevated hill. (Partially for aesthetics) Alongside you, you dragged along an unwilling participant. Your devoted lover who would do anything for you, even in this blistering heat. Loki.
The climb up the hill was excruciating as the sun pressed its heavy weight against both of your backs. The usually composed God struggled to catch his breath with desperate wheezes. His beautiful fair skin had become tainted with heavy perspiration, which began to stain underneath his arms. With a genuine whine of defeat, Loki turned to look at you, watching the way your struggle mirrored his own. "Darling, how much longer till we make it to the top? I fear I might collapse from exhaustion in this very spot." Loki stressed, fingers gripping the blunt grass beneath him.
"Just a little more, we're nearly there!"
"Just a little more? I don't believe I can manage just a little more. I have half a mind to teleport us to our destination."
"No, we should be authentic."
"Authentic?! Darling, by the time we arrive, you will look back to find your beloved God as a heap of ashes on this intolerable greenery!"
With a soft, huffed laugh, you turned to look at Loki. An amused smile appears to take hold of your lips. "Loki, the whole time you've been complaining... you failed to notice we've made it to the top." You revealed with another laugh, pushing yourself upwards toward the flat plane of the hill. Immediately, the inferno of the sun seemed to lessen from the large oak tree that greeted you both. Its large branches and heavy leaves effectively offered a welcome respite for your hard work. A grand, cool shadow that seemed to nearly envelop you both.
You watched as Loki's annoyance fell into pure relief at the realization, his brows smoothing, and that stubborn frown transforming into a thin line. An improvement, in your opinion. "Thank the Norns," Loki muttered under his breath, his frown making a return as he moved to lean his back against the tree that provided a break. Loki panted softly, taking this as an opportunity to catch his breath. Even as he felt himself disconnecting with the world. His head leaned back against the trunk with a groan, as if welcoming death to come and claim him with open arms.
Uninterested in ruining Loki's peace, you began to reach into your woven picnic basket in search of a blanket. With a small smile, your hands curled around the comfortable fabric. With a swift shake, the blanket unfurled itself onto the dull grass. Satisfied, you smoothed out any remaining wrinkles before planting yourself heavily on the blanket with an exaggerated sigh of relief. Your eyes finally shifted over to Loki, who was currently staring blankly at the sky. Perhaps the heat really did get to him.
"Loki...why don't you join me over here? Come lay with me." You offered with a concerned tone, lying on your side and swiping your hand vertically along the soft fabric of the blanket. A small smile appeared on your lips when you watched his eyebrows raise. Loki snapped out of his reverie with a sharp brow arching upwards, a slow smirk appearing on his thin lips. "Well, when you say it in that delectable tone...how could I refuse?" Loki trailed off, making his way to your side with a series of fleeting slides. When he reached your side, he planted himself beside you with a puff, arm propping him up as his fingers reached for you. Pushing back stray hairs that clung to your damp forehead. "The things I do for you," Loki whispered with faux annoyance, his features softening at the reality of how you could disarm him with terrifying ease.
"You love it."
"Perhaps I do. Why else would I accompany you upstate and endure the roasting sun as I climb up a hill?"
"Well, thank you. I really do appreciate it." You smiled affectionately at him, your expression softening into something more vulnerable. "For your troubles, I did bring wine, but it's probably uncomfortably lukrwarm by now..." You assumed, reaching into the basket to retrieve the large glass bottle. Offering it toward Loki. Loki blinked, eyes shifting toward the bottle in your hand and back to your eyes. He only scoffed with an incredulous shake of his head, a smug expression taking hold of his sharp features.
"My dear, you forget I am a God who possesses magic. I can easily remedy this...misfortune." Loki prompted, his eyes falling toward the extended wine bottle. Without further ado, his middle finger connected with his thumb for a simple snap. Within seconds, green tendrils of his magic wrapped themselves around the disappointing wine; enveloping its length before vanishing. You blinked, gaping at the bottle as you watched it gain condensation on its glass. "Well, might as well chill the wine glasses I brought." You teased, your eyes meeting Loki's smug ones. "It is already done, darling. I don't do anything halfway." Loki shrugged, already pulling out the chilled glasses from the woven basket with that same insufferable smirk.
"I should've known." You teased with a smile, grabbing the corkscrew from the container. With a soft grunt, the screw was pushed into the stubborn cork. A twist of your wrist, and a soft pop echoed in the space between you and Loki. You both deserved this wine. Slowly, you poured a generous amount of wine into both glasses. As you did do, Loki's throat bobbed with his swallows as he ogled the liquid. "If this is the recompense for climbing a hill, I'd reconsider fulfilling this endeavor again and again." Loki groaned, leaning back as he raised his glass to his lips with a contented exhale. His eyes began scanning over the greenery around them. Lush, thick trees surrounded the pair, the sun; although still bleeding its heat against them...had lessened as the sun sat over the horizon. Casting a striking hue of amber over the atmosphere. "You know, darling..." Loki began, looking over at you with bemused curiosity, his lips parting before closing. "Pray tell, what was the intention of this...tiresome expedition?"
You paused, blinking at his unexpected inquiry. For a moment, the silence stretched out between you two. Your gaze falls on the scenery before you avoid his eyes. After a moment of quiet contemplation, you spoke. "I wanted to give summer a chance to be something more than a bother." You explained with a shrug of nonchalance, but Loki saw right through you. Your eyes face forward, avoiding his gaze completely. Loki didn't have to say anything. He simply stared at you with a knowing yet incredulous expression. A face he harbored when he was certain you had hidden intentions.
You felt his eyes burning a hole into you, your lips pressing into an uncomfortably tight line as you felt your spine straighten instinctively. Another beat of awkward silence lingered. Finally, unable to handle his intense scrutiny, you sighed and turned your head to meet those intense emerald eyes. "Okay, that was a little white lie. I also did it for...the aesthetics. Take a few pictures." You admitted sheepishly, your head snapping away from his gaze. "The...aesthetics? Darling, you mean to tell me we climbed a hill for a considerable amount of time just so you could take pictures?"
"Surely you recognize, I could have perished from carbonizing."
"But you didn't! You're fine."
Loki gasped, a hand flying to his chest in a show of theatrical display. Showing nothing but mock exaggeration and hurt. "I have scarlet flecks forming on my neck that say otherwise!" Loki cried, his gaze teasing and his lips curling into a grin. "You truly are a cruel mistress." Loki exhaled with a slow shake of his head as he raised his glass to his lips for a sip. "Well, I suppose if we're here to attain renderings for your feed. I suspect you'll have the necessity for a photographer." Loki claimed, his eyes meeting your own with subtle anticipation. He extended his hand toward you, palm open. A gesture that was meant to pry the camera from you.
"You're right, and you're perfect for the job." You conceded with a delighted look, reaching into your purse to grab the device. Happily, you placed it into Loki's hand. His fingers closed around its shape. "Thank you for doing this." You sing-songed, leaning over to press a grateful peck against his lips. Loki hummed, eyes closing to bask in the warmth of your lips as he met you halfway. After a moment, he pulled back with a smirk. His hand finds its way to your waist, fingers begining to idly play with the hem of your shirt. "Think nothing of it, darling. Now, be a good girl and position yourself for me."
"And for the camera, I suppose."
If this is WEIRDLY paced, forgive me. It's hard for inspiration to strike when you're writing on a phone instead of a laptop. Awful, literally awful. AND TUMBLR WASN'T COOPERATING WITH ME!!














