#side note I'd like to say is that I picked my top ten current ships and put them through a generator and this was the one that won

[black-salt-cage]

Day 1 for profiction-edits profic party! ✧. ┊  Prompt: Your OTP Answer: Bramblesquirrel (Brambleclaw x Squirrelstar / Warriors) ☽ - ✰ - ☾ ☽ - ✰ - ☾ ☽ - ✰ - ☾

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚

[littlekinng]

Hey! Firstly, I'd like to say that I greatly enjoyed everything of yours that I have read so far! Secondly, I would be interested to see what you can come for the prompt 9, for the greater good. Pick whichever of the three options inspires you the most. I am new to tumblr, I truly hope this was what you meant when you said ask box!

When Loki and the Valkyrie are abducted while gathering supplies on an unknown outpost, some rash decisions are made in order to guarantee a safe escape. 

Or, more accurately, a safe escape for one of them.

(Whumptober 2020 Prompt #9 Fill: "Take Me Instead".) || [ao3 link]

“You’re not going.” 

Val blinked, and fought the urge to yawn behind the back of her hand as she watched as Loki’s features darkened slightly, before he took a small step closer to where Thor was stood beside the entrance to the Commodore, his arms crossed tightly over his chest and a steely expression on his face that brooked no room for argument. 

Not that Loki had ever taken heed of that particular warning. 

“Thor,” he replied, lowly, “It’s a stop on an unknown outpost for fuel and supplies. You don’t possess much of a talent for bartering, and you’re King of Asgard.” something dangerous sparked just behind his eyes, then. “I’m going.” 

“I need you here.” Thor argued with a small shake of his head.

“You’re King.” Loki repeated, slowly, as if he were speaking to a particularly stupid child. “Of a people who have very recently been uprooted from their home and need a stable monarch, at the very least. You’re not going alone.” 

There was a low, warning note to his tone and, though it was not directed at her, Val felt something like trepidation chill the skin of her arms and shoulders at the sound of it. 

Only an idiot would have argued with him while he was like this, she reflected. 

Which was, of course, where Thor came in. 

“It’s too dangerous.” 

“You’re king--” 

“Alright!” Val cried, before the two could work themselves into another one of their famously long winded arguments.

Thor started slightly at her cry, almost as if he’d forgotten that she was there at all (and wasn’t that flattering?), though Loki simply stilled before turning to face her with a scowl. 

“Enough.” Val continued with a small roll of her eyes. “We don’t have all day to sit here while you two squabble.” she straightened from where she had been leaned against the far wall of the hangar, and strode toward the Commodore’s open entrance. “We’ll all go.” 

“We--” Thor faltered, his gaze flickering between Loki and where Val was currently boarding the ship. 

“Less of a chance of running into trouble with three of us.” she called over her shoulder, not bothering to turn and see if either was following her. 

She was relatively confident in her knowing the two of them well enough, by now, to more or less expect them to follow, at any rate.

And, after a moment, they did, Thor muttering something unintelligible beneath his breath as Val hit the panel to close the door behind them with a small smirk. 

“She’s got a point, you know.” Loki was saying, something like satisfaction smoothing his features. 

Thor glowered. 

“Shut up, Loki.” 

---

Loki’s satisfaction, as it turned out, did not last long, for not ten minutes into their time on the small outpost Thor was already suggesting that they part ways. 

“Are you mad?” Loki hissed, his features already twisting into a dark scowl. “You don’t know this planet any better than either of us.” 

“I’m gonna have to side with Lackey on this one.” Val cut in, and ignored the flicker of surprise on Loki’s face in favor of continuing, “We’re all at a disadvantage, here. We may as well get what we came for together and go.” 

“And it will take us far less time to do so if we each take a task.” Thor countered, glancing briefly back at the ship with something like worry creasing his features. “We shouldn’t be gone long.”

 “Fine.” to Val’s surprise (and Thor’s, if his expression was anything to go by), Loki rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion and waved his hand. “You go find some suitable rations, then. The Valkyrie and I will go attempt to haggle for fuel.” 

Thor hesitated, seemingly taken aback at Loki’s sudden agreement. 

Val, too, was slightly thrown off by the shift, though she wasn’t entirely certain that the suggestion had not come without an ulterior motivation. 

Her suspicions were more or less confirmed when, after a beat, Loki offered a half-sneer, half-smirk. 

“Unless you need my assistance, of course.” he blinked several times in succession. “I can imagine that you don’t have very much experience shopping on a budget.” 

Oh, of course. Val fought the urge to roll her eyes. 

Though she wasn’t entirely certain of Loki’s motive (and, really, when was she ever?), Val knew that Loki was well aware (probably more so than anyone) that the easiest way to distract Thor was by poking at his temper. 

That, or, in this case, his pride. 

And, Val considered as she watched as Thor began to scowl in irritation, of course he would fall for it. 

Because of course these two had to be that predictable. 

“We meet back here in an hour.” Thor commanded, lowly, narrowing his eye and shooting Loki a warning look before he turned and, after a brief nod to the Valkyrie, began to tread into the crowded marketplace. 

“And stay out of trouble!” he called over his shoulder. 

“As you wish.” Loki replied with a mocking tilt of his head, his gaze not leaving Thor’s back even as he disappeared into the crowd. 

“Alright,” Val demanded, the second Thor was out of sight, rounding to face Loki fully and crossing both her arms over her chest. “Why are you okay with this?” 

“He was hardly going to be talked out of it.” Loki did not bother to mince words, though the slight furrow between his brows as he shot another look in the direction Thor had disappeared in belied the lightness of his tone. 

“Besides,” Loki continued, after a moment, his expression smoothing into one of casual ease. “You’re a scrapper, are you not?” 

Val frowned, a little taken aback by the sudden shift in topic. 

He had to stop doing that, she reflected distantly. 

“Guess it depends on the day.” she replied, after a moment. 

“And how about today?” Loki inquired lowly with another twisted, almost leering smile. 

It was at times like these that Val could almost believe that the prince had once been considered one of Asgard’s most formidable threats. 

She opened her mouth to tell him to kindly fuck off (they had a schedule to keep, after all), only for the suggestion behind the words to belatedly catch up with her. 

“You mean…” she trailed off, raising one brow and waggling her fingers suggestively. 

“Precisely.” Loki nodded, his grin softening into something a little less threatening and a little more--

Well, mischievous. 

Val snorted. “I don’t think your brother would approve.” 

“Thor doesn’t approve of many things I do.” Loki replied at once, and shrugged indifferently. “I’ve hardly let it stop me in the past.” 

He turned to enter the bustling marketplace, leaving the Valkyrie to hesitate, briefly, before she hastened to catch up. 

“Besides,” Loki was saying, though he did not bother to turn and meet her gaze. “It was his idea to run off on his own. We can hardly be held accountable for what happens in the interim.” 

“He told us to stay out of trouble.” Val reminded, though the effort was weak even to her own ears, and she could feel her blood beginning to thrum in the anticipation of putting her particularly…specific skill-set to good use. 

Being a scrapper was, after all, not necessarily a valuable trait while floating listlessly through space on a ship full to the brim with Asgardians. 

“Yes,” Loki was agreeing, and hummed as if carefully considering her words, before he turned to give her a small smile. “But you like this kind of trouble.” 

And, Val considered, something like excitement fluttering in her gut at the words, she couldn’t argue that. 

“Damn it, Lackey.” she growled, more for sake of appearances, than anything, and allowed her steps to speed slightly toward the marketplace. 

Loki only chuckled. 

---

Exactly thirty-five minutes later, the Valkyrie was heaving with laughter over a half empty bottle of some kind of foreign liquor, a decidedly Not Paid For case of the same stuff slung over her shoulder. 

“You’re having fun!” she snorted, when Loki offered a wry chuckle beside her, his gaze already scanning over the top of the crowd for their next destination. 

“I happen to have some experience in this arena.” he replied with a small smirk, and paused before adding, “And I like to think I’m not entirely…insufferable, all the time.” 

“I’d put it more like reeeally out of practice.” Val shot back with a small wrinkle of her nose, though she found that the grin wouldn’t leave her face easily. “Here.” she extended the bottle in her hand and raised her brows expectantly. 

Unsurprisingly, Loki wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Your mouth has been on that.” he informed, after a beat. 

“We share a bedroom.” the Valkyrie deadpanned, though she drew the bottle back to her own lips with a small shrug that conveyed, more or less, ‘your loss’. 

“A bedroom is hardly a bottle.” Loki quipped, though he seemed looser than he had in months even without the booze, so she decided to count it as a win. 

“Alright, Highness.” she shrugged again, before turning to face forward and survey the marketplace. “We’ve got booze, fuel, and herbs.”

“The essentials.” Loki intoned wryly.

Val smirked, before continuing, “Anything else you want to grab before we head back? Thor’s probably on his way back to the ship.” 

“I imagine he is.” Loki replied easily, though the gleam of mischief was starting to reappear just behind his eyes. “However, I think we have time for one more stop, don’t you?”

Val furrowed her brow, though her unspoken question was answered the second she followed Loki’s gaze to where it was directed some feet away. 

There, at the corner of the marketplace, was a small wooden booth displaying an array of ornate knives and daggers. 

“Seriously?” Val snorted, taking another healthy swig from the bottle and raising a brow disbelievingly in Loki’s direction. 

“One of my Sakaaran blades was damaged during our hasty exodus from Asgard.” Loki explained with a somewhat lazy, disinterested air, as if he did not really care either way whether or not they stopped. 

Only the way his eyes had remained trained on the table, surveying the wares with open curiosity, told Val otherwise. 

“Right.” Val nodded toward the booth. “Lead the way, then, Highness.” 

Loki flashed a grin, before moving forward to do just that. 

Val fell automatically into step behind him, already mentally preparing a haggle she could distract the owner of the stall with just long enough for Loki to work an illusion and take what he wanted. 

The tactic had worked flawlessly at each of their previous stops, and Val would admit with little chagrin that Loki, fallen Prince of Asgard as he was, had surprised her by his seemingly effortless proficiency at the art of theft. 

Though, she mentally conceded, she really should have stopped being surprised by the remaining members of the Royal Asgardian Family a long time ago. 

As they approached, Val was unsurprised to find that Loki had all but disappeared into the crowd, though if she strained, she could just make him out just a few feet away, still eyeing the stall consideringly and cloaked with just enough magic to hide him from anyone not seeking him out specifically. 

With a snort, the Valkyrie stopped in front of the booth and turned to face forward, opening her mouth in a greeting as someone stepped out of the building behind and into the light. 

The man was tall, taller than Thor, most likely, and had a shrewd look about him that set Val immediately on alert. 

A fact that certainly wasn’t helped by the expression of shock that crossed the man’s face when his gaze fell to her, followed quickly by one of steely determination. 

Damn, the Valkyrie thought distantly, and took an automatic step back, the bottle falling from her hand to fall to the dirt below with a dull thump. 

“142.” the man hissed, something like delight glimmering within his deep set eyes, now, and reached a hand down to grab at something at his hip. 

Damn. 

“Lackey?” Val called, “Time to go!” 

She turned to glance briefly over her shoulder to where Loki had been stood previously--

The spot was empty, Loki nowhere to be seen. 

Shit.

“Not for you.” the man behind the booth snarled, and flicked one wrist out in an expert motion. 

Immediately, something stung at the side of Val’s neck, and she had only seconds for her eyes to widen in comprehension, before a sharp pulse of electricity burst forth from the spot and her knees gave out beneath her. 

Then, nothing.

---

The Valkyrie groaned as she reawoke, her head pounding and the world flickering in and out of focus for a moment as she blinked in an effort to regain awareness. 

The realization that her hands were tied was the first thing she registered, bound behind her back with what felt like a length of thick leather cord. 

She groaned again, and raised her head from where it was previously hung even with her shoulders with some effort. 

Immediately, she came face to face with the man who had been behind the stall, and would have reeled back, had she had enough reign of control over her limbs, at the moment. 

“Glad to see you awake.” the man sneered, though his demeanor had shifted drastically toward something more at ease, rather than his previous ire. “Comfortable, I take it?” 

“Plush.” Val forced herself to grit out, blinking past the last of the dark spots staining her vision. 

“Good to hear.” the man drew back slightly, though his gaze remained raking over her as if he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Charming. 

“See something you like?” the Valkyrie snapped with as fierce a scowl as she could muster. 

“Not quite.” the man returned. “Though, given time, I think that’ll change.” 

Val fought the urge to wince. 

“Alright.” she managed a small shrug and glanced away. “What--” 

“Found her partner.” Someone from behind declared, so suddenly Val nearly started at the sound, only for her blood to run cold at the implication. 

Shit, she thought a bit wildly, though she attempted valiantly to keep any of the panic she felt off of her face. 

They had Loki. Meaning nobody else out there knew they were missing for sure, and wouldn’t think to look for another few hours, at least. 

Even Thor would probably assume they were off dicking around, rather than realizing that anything was wrong. 

Though, in all fairness, that was exactly what they had been doing. 

Her mind already beginning to whir through the quickly dwindling list of options of escape they might have left to them, Val turned to where another man was lumbering into the room and dragging a stumbling figure behind. 

“Great!” the first man cried, clapping his hands together and grinning widely. “Maybe he’ll be worth something too.” 

You have no idea. Val thought morosely, and glanced to where the figure was being tossed to crouch on the floor beside her--

Only to blink, her mouth nearly dropping open into a gape at the figure beside her.

The figure who was decidedly not Loki. 

The man beside her was blonde, for starters, his hair cropped close to his head and combed back neatly, other than one strand that fell, limp with sweat, to dangle in his face. 

He was significantly broader than Loki, as well. And, Val considered, under any other circumstances she may have taken just a moment longer to study him appreciatively. 

As it were, she simply stared as the man paused, heaving for breath, before he turned to meet her eyes. 

Val did gape, then, her brows screwing together into a bewildered frown before she could stop them. 

The eyes, currently shooting her a very stern warning glare, were Loki’s. 

“A companion.” the man before them mused, suddenly enough that they both jolted, slightly. “I was under the impression that you worked alone, 142.”

“This one wasn’t necessarily by choice.” Val muttered, ignoring the somewhat sharp look the Not-Loki sent her. 

“No matter!” the man cried, loudly enough that they both glanced back toward where he was stood, a look of unbridled glee on his face. “I assume you know why you’ve been welcomed here.” 

“Define ‘welcome’,” Val muttered. 

“My dear man.” the figure beside her spoke, and though the voice was decidedly rougher than Loki’s (and missing that distinct accent, for one), Val nearly winced at the overt formality of the words. 

While Loki was, very obviously, accustomed to his honey dipped words working on most audiences, Val knew without a doubt that they would not work on any seasoned scrapper. 

She also knew, without a doubt, that the man before them was a very, very seasoned scrapper. 

“I don’t know who you think we are, but I assure you.” the Not-Loki figure offered a small, subservient nod. “We are simply traders, attempting to gather a few supplies before we are on our way again.” 

“Really?” the man perched one elbow on his knee, and leaned forward far enough that his nose was mere inches from Loki’s. “And do you know who you travel with, boy?” 

Loki offered an exaggerated expression of confusion, though Val could sense his disgust at the close proximity of the man. 

“This is my companion, Angela.” he informed, after a beat. “And I am--” 

“I’ve heard enough.” the man interrupted, casually enough. 

So casually, in fact, that his backhanding Loki roughly across the face not a second later startled the both of them badly, and Val jolted forward automatically as she watched Loki’s head rock back with a crack. 

To his credit, Loki did not make a sound, though he’d bitten his lip hard enough upon impact to draw blood, which was now dribbling down his chin as he turned to offer the man a scathing glare. 

“This is you, isn’t it?” the man was saying, paying little heed to Loki’s fury as he waved a hand over a small device held in his opposite palm. 

The object flickered, and after a moment a hologram popped up. 

Val tensed, and she felt Loki do the same beside her. 

The picture they were being presented with was of her, snarling and bloodied as she ran a blade through another figure’s eye. 

Val had no memory of the situation, though this in itself came as little surprise. 

“Scrapper 142.” the man was reciting with a small, satisfied smirk on his face. “You’ve stolen a number of very, very expensive targets from a number of very, very important scrappers.”

He leaned closer to the Valkyrie’s face, now, so close she could smell his acrid breath wafting across her face. 

“Including myself.” 

Val forced herself not to draw back. 

“Doesn’t ring a bell.” she replied with a small, indifferent shrug. 

The man smirked. “It wouldn’t.” he agreed, before pulling back and straightening, again. 

“You were shocking drunk, at the time.” 

Ah, Val thought wryly. 

That made a bit more sense. 

“So what’s it to you?” Val continued. “The targets are sold, now. The money’s gone.” 

“No doubt pissed away.” the man snapped, before his features smoothed into something more relaxed. 

Val found that she didn’t like the look, at all. 

“Regardless,” the man waved a dismissive hand. “I cannot imagine the amount of scrappers out there who would pay generously for your head.” he paused, and seemed to consider something, before he chuckled slightly. “In fact, I don’t have to. I know.” 

“Good sir.” Loki began again, a bit of anxiety creeping into his tone, now. “I don’t--” 

“Enough!” The man cried, sharply, and this time fell forward a step before driving one knee up, roughly, to strike at Loki’s chin. 

Loki grunted, now, and fell to his side, his nose already beginning to dribble blood into the dirt below. 

“Hey!” Val snapped, her wrists jerking ineffectually at her bonds. 

“I grow tired of this one.” the man was saying, smoothing his hair back with one hand and gesturing at Loki’s crumpled form with the other. 

“That makes--” Loki gasped, and rolled forward with a grunt so he could sit up on his knees, again. “Two of us.” 

Immediately, the back of the man’s hand struck his face again. 

“Shut up!” the man spat. 

“Jethro.” 

The man stilled, his hand raised inches from Loki’s face as if preparing to strike again, before he drew back with a small huff of an exhale. 

“I’m not sure you’re worth the trouble.” he muttered, before turning on his heel to begin speaking in low tones with the man who’d interrupted. 

“Hey,” Val whispered, immediately, knowing that this might be their only chance to speak for a while longer. 

Loki turned to face her, an almost bored expression on his face, though blood still oozed steadily from his nose and mouth. 

And, Val considered, she might have been fooled by the expression only a month or so before. 

Now, however, the small flicker of anxiety behind Loki’s eyes was almost too obvious to miss. 

“Can’t you--you know.” Val raised a pointed brow, and glanced down to where Loki’s hands were bound similarly to hers behind his back. 

In all honesty, she was a bit surprised that he hadn’t tried any tricks with his magic, yet. 

Though, knowing Loki, there had to have been a good reason. 

And, sure enough, Loki winced slightly before admitting, “I’m weighing my options.”

 He turned, then, and bared the side of his neck she had not been able to see, where a small obedience disk was stuck fast. 

“Right.” Val huffed and glanced away, not needing a further explanation to understand the reasoning behind Loki’s hesitance. 

Even if he did manage to conjure a weapon and free himself, there was a good chance the disk would be activated before he could take down even one man. 

And, she considered as a small chill ran down her spine, there was no guarantee as to exactly how many men there were hiding in the shadows beyond their line of sight. 

“Look,” she murmured, after another moment of tense silence, and turned to glance at where Loki was staring determinedly ahead. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for getting you into this mess.” 

To her surprise, Loki huffed a small chuckle, and turned a moment later to shoot her a wry look. 

“Don’t be.” he replied, after a beat. “Believe it or not, this is one of the...tidier messes, I’ve been in recently.” 

Val believed it, and opened her mouth to say as much, only for a voice from somewhere behind them to cut in. 

“We’ve got a third one, Jethro!” 

Immediately, Loki tensed beside her, all bravado draining from his figure along with the blood in his face. 

Val wasn’t sure that she was faring much better. 

If they had Thor… 

Well, simply put, they were fucked. 

“A third?” their abductee (Jethro, apparently) repeated. “Of them?” 

“We think so.” the voice replied promptly. “Big guy. Blonde and angry with an eyepatch.” 

“Angry?” Jethro repeated.

“Was.” the second man replied with a small nod. “Before we subdued him.”

Loki winced, something like panic beginning to visibly speed his breaths, now. 

No time for that. Val thought, a little frantically. 

“Look,” she attempted, willing her voice to remain steady even as her heart began to hammer within her chest. “Like you said, I work alone.” 

“And yet here you are with two of your companions.” the man replied distractedly, and gestured to Loki again. “Your stories contradict each other.” 

“Please.” Loki spoke up, surprising Val with the hint of pleading behind his tone.

 In all her time having known him, she’d never expected to hear Loki plead. 

Well, that was, not unless his brother was involved. 

“We’re not who you say we are.” 

“Alright,” the man muttered, abruptly, and rolled his eyes as he approached, drawing something long and blunt from his belt seconds too quickly for either Val or Loki to react. 

His arm swung back, and Val had only a moment to shout a wordless protest before the heavy end of the baton-like bar struck the side of Loki’s temple. 

Val watched in a sort of detached horror as the prince went down a second time, this time remaining still seconds too long, following the blow, blood beginning to slowly pool around his temple as he heaved for breath. 

“Take him out!” the man commanded sharply, and was already turning away as two men surged forward to grip Loki by either shoulder and drag him roughly to his feet. “Dispose of him. We’ll make enough off of her head.”

“No!” Val barked, unable to stop the cry, now, and began to struggle against her bonds with a renewed vigour. 

“Shut up.” the man snapped, again. “You--” 

“Stop!” the call rang out clearly and authoritatively enough that everyone in the room froze in their actions. 

Including Val, who paused briefly before turning to gape at the figure currently being hauled out of the room. Because that voice… 

That voice had belonged to Loki. 

And, surely enough, when Val turned, it was Loki who was stood at the opposite end of the room, his back held proud and straight and his jaw set defiantly. 

In that moment, Val considered that she could truly see the famed, fallen Prince of Asgard. 

The men who had been dragging Loki toward the doorway had fallen back a step in shock, their faces creased in twin expressions of confusion at the sudden shift, and Loki took advantage of the brief hesitance to take a step forward. 

“You know who I am.” he muttered, voice held cool and confident, even as Val saw the tension running through his shoulders. 

“I am Loki,” Loki continued, taking another slow step forward when their kidnapper did not reply. “Prince of Asgard. God of Mischief, and,” Loki tilted his head with a small, humorless smirk. “A much more valuable prize.” 

No! Val felt like shouting, irritation rising within her at the blatant stupidity of the move. 

If there had been any chance of their getting out of this before, she reflected bitterly, there was even less of one now. 

“Asgard.” the man before them was repeating, though the look on his face was somewhat awed.

“Interesting, considering the rumors that have been spreading.” he added, after a moment.

Loki hesitated, so briefly Val considered that it would have almost been unnoticeable, were she not watching him as closely as she was, before a lazy smirk crossed his features. 

“In rumors, Asgard is not lacking.” he replied, after a moment. 

And, after a moment, the man returned the smirk. 

“Indeed.” he agreed, and took a step forward, his attention completely diverted from where the Valkyrie was still knelt, now. 

“Asgard’s favored pet sorcerer.” he mused, seemingly ignorant to the way Loki’s features darkened slightly, at the words. “Their ‘Dark Prince’...” 

“Indeed,” Loki repeated, hollowly. 

He paused, then, his gaze flickering briefly back to Val before he straightened, and his expression smoothed into one of cool indifference. 

“Take me instead.” he demanded, finally. 

Something inside Val froze at the words, and she could not stop herself from rounding to peg Loki with a bewildered expression. 

Not that the prince saw it. 

Rather, he remained ramrod straight, his gaze fixed pointedly ahead on where Jethro was facing him with a startled expression. 

“And what makes you think that we won’t just take you both?” the man inquired, after a beat. 

“I am, as you say, Asgard’s ‘pet sorcerer’.” Loki replied with a small snarl. “I could easily break free from my bonds and kill everyone in this room with hardly a thought.” 

The man before them did not move, though his expression flickered briefly as he continued to size Loki up. 

“But you haven’t.” he replied, finally.

“And I won’t.” Loki continued with a small nod. “If you take me instead, and let her go free.” 

“No!” Val cried, unable to remain silent any longer in the face of such blatant stupidity, and surged forward, only to be stopped by the strike of a hand across her face. 

“We have a deal.” Jethro replied, his gaze remaining focussed firmly on Loki as he offered a small sneer. 

An expression that Loki returned readily. 

“No,” Val repeated, kicking out fruitlessly as the same two that had previously attempted to move Loki seized at her elbows and began to drag her backwards. “No.” 

Before she could do much more than kick at her assailant’s shins, however, an energy struck at the forefront of Val’s mind so forcefully she nearly jerked with the force of it. 

Find him. The voice commanded. 

And, when Val glanced up to where Loki was still stood, his defiant expression had all but melted away, replaced by one of almost desperate pleading as he met her gaze evenly. 

She shook her head, slightly, once. 

Make sure he’s safe. The voice insisted, before Loki turned determinedly back to where the man at the front of the room was smirking gleefully. 

“Loki!” 

Immediately, there was a telltale buzz at the side of her neck, before she seized and fell forward with a small groan. 

The last thing she was aware of was Loki taking another step away from her, his shoulders set in that determined manner Val knew meant that, no matter how she or anyone else argued, he would not relent.

And she would have rolled her eyes at the sight, were she not so busy falling into unconsciousness. 

---

When Val awoke, she was alone, shivering in the dirt at the outskirts of the marketplace, the faint glimmer of moonlight the only thing keeping her steady. 

With a small grunt, she rose to lean back on her elbows, noting that, miraculously, the obedience disk had been removed from the side of her throat. 

The relief was quickly outweighed, however, by the dawning horror that accompanied the memories rushing back to her with increasing speed, the longer she was awake. 

Loki--

“Lackey!” she cried, almost unbidden, and scurried to stand, her breaths leaving her in harsh pants as she cast her gaze around the empty pockets of desert that surrounded her. 

She was relatively certain that Loki was, more likely than not, still held wherever they’d been taken, an indeterminable amount of time before. 

Thor, on the other hand? 

She hadn’t seen him. Neither of them had seen him, which meant… 

Stupid, she thought and fought the urge to simply shout in frustration. Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

Okay, she reminded herself. Breathe. 

There had to be a way to fix this. 

The thought firmly in mind, Val turned on her heel and began to trek back into the marketplace. 

She was pretty sure that she had a vague memory of where the knife stall had been, and from there it shouldn’t have been too hard to track down either Thor or Loki. 

Or, hopefully, both of them. 

Val inhaled a sharp breath as she reentered the edge of the marketplace, steeling herself in preparation to search for as long as it took to find--

The sound of a struggle to her right interrupted her thoughts, and Val turned just in time to see something fly through the stone side of a building, rubble and dust threatening to choke her, before a body landed limply at her feet. 

“Majesty!” she greeted, before raising her eyes to where Thor was stood in the newly punched hole in the side of the building before her, his shoulders heaving as lightning crackled faintly around his wrists and fingertips. 

If Thor heard her, he did not make any indication. And, after a moment, he stumbled a clumsy step through the opening. 

“Shit.” Val hissed, and hurried forward just in time to catch a majority of Thor’s weight as he slumped forward, his shoulder spilling blood freely onto her own. 

“It’s alright, Highness.” she soothed distractedly, her pulse speeding when she registered the sound of multiple footsteps steadily growing closer from over Thor’s shoulder. “We’re gonna get you back to the ship.” 

“L--Loki.” Thor slurred, his eye bleary as he cast his gaze around the alleyway behind Val with a small frown. “Where--where is--” 

“He’s fine.” Val reassured, though the words sounded weak even to her own ears, and swallowed past the guilt cloying at the back of her throat as she began to drag Thor back toward where she was relatively confident the Commodore was still parked. 

I’ll come back, she reminded herself, firmly. 

She had to.

To her surprise, it was not five minutes later that they turned a corner and stumbled upon where their ship was still sat, though Thor had already begun to flag significantly, his breaths short and stuttered against the side of her neck. 

The sound of a furious shout sounded from somewhere over her shoulder, and Val inhaled sharply before all but dragging Thor forward. 

“Loki…” Thor muttered, shaking his head slightly against the side of Val’s shoulder as they hastened through the entrance to the ship. 

“Later!” Val commanded, depositing Thor onto one of the benches at the back of the ship before fairly sprinting toward the captain’s chair. 

As the ship roared to life, Val cast a quick glance out the window, her gut churning as the marketplace began to shrink below them. 

Later. 

---

Thor, who had fallen into unconsciousness not long after the Valkyrie had steered the ship off of the small outpost, stirred to life just as she was tying off a tight bandage around the stab wound at his shoulder. 

“Welcome back.” Val greeted with a small smile, though she kept her gaze averted even as she turned to begin wiping the blood on her hands off onto a small rag at her knee. 

Thor did not reply for a long moment, and Val was briefly fearful that he had fallen unconscious, again. 

Only for him to inquire, slowly, “Where is Loki?” 

Oh, she thought. This was much worse. 

Val felt something within her chill at the coolness of the tone, though she refused to tense, even now. 

“He--” Val hesitated, before her shoulders dropped slightly forward, and she exhaled a long sigh, fighting the ridiculous urge to bury her face in her hands like a child. 

“He stayed behind.” she informed, at length, and swallowed before gathering the courage to lift her gaze to meet Thor’s. 

Which was a questionable move, considering the stormy expression on Thor’s rapidly darkening features. 

“What do you mean, ‘stayed behind’?” he demanded, after a moment, his tone brooking no room for any avoidance of the topic. 

Not that the Valkyrie would have been stupid enough to try. 

“I mean,” she replied, willing herself to keep her tone as even as possible. “That he stayed behind. He--This was my fault.” she added, after a moment. 

“I--I don’t understand.” Thor hesitated, his features creasing somewhat at the words, before he continued, “They did mention you, but I don’t--What does that have to do with Loki?” 

“They wanted to sell me for a price.” Val explained, quickly, and carefully avoided Thor’s somewhat stricken gaze, guilt causing bile to slowly climb up the back of her throat. “Loki--” 

She inhaled a small, slightly unsteady breath. 

“Loki offered his head for my own.” she burst out, finally, unable to keep the words in a second longer. “He--he knew you were taken, too, and I guess he--he thought that the best way to--” 

She broke off, turning her head sharply and drawing in one long, steeling breath through her nose. 

“I’m sorry.” she muttered, when it seemed that Thor was not going to reply beyond a few small, unsteady breaths. “Thor, I--We can--I can go back--” 

“I hardly think that that will be necessary.” 

Val froze, and felt Thor do the same just beside her, before she turned with wide eyes to face the back of the ship. 

The back of the ship, where Loki was lingering in the shadows, leaning against the wall with a small smirk on his face. 

“You asshole!” Val cried, before she could so much as register the urge to do so. “I--You--” 

“Spectacularly articulate, as always.” Loki returned, his smirk smoothing out into something a bit more genuine--

Only for the expression to be all but wiped off of his face, his eyes growing as wide as saucers and his lips parting slightly as his gaze fell just to Val’s left. 

And, before Val could register the movement, Thor was all but sprinting forward, his arms rising to wrap tightly around Loki’s shoulders in a movement so forceful Loki was briefly swept off of the floor. 

“Ah!” Loki cried with a grimace. “Thor--Thor--” 

“You idiot.” Thor hissed, burying his face into the side of Loki’s neck as he tugged his brother tighter against himself. “You damned idiot.”

“Fine thing for you to say.” Loki snapped, only to wince as Thor visibly tightened his hold. “Oh.” he blinked, once. “You’re angry.” 

“You’re damned right I am.” Thor growled, before shifting to press one long, forceful kiss to the side of Loki’s head. “I’m furious.” 

Val fought the urge to glance away, feeling suddenly as if she should leave the two to their moment. 

Loki, for his part, only blinked again, before his expression crumpled slightly, and he moved to bury his face into Thor’s shoulder, his hands coming up to grip at the fabric of Thor’s cape tightly. 

Val did let her gaze drop, then, and busied herself with slowly repackaging the first aid kit on the floor beside her. 

Even as the soft, hesitant sounds of Loki’s snuffling began to echo dimly at the far corner of the ship. 

---

“So,” Val began, and took the seat on the bench beside where Loki was currently slumped, his elbows on his knees and his gaze trained carefully on where Thor was slumbering on the bench opposite. 

Not long after their reunion, Thor had begun to waver visibly, and Loki and Val had had only minutes to convince him to sit down before he had slipped back into unconsciousness. 

And, though Val had attempted to reassure Loki that their king would make a full recovery (his wound had, after all, already shown signs of healing as she had wrapped it), the worried furrow between Loki’s brow had not disappeared, nor had the sharp tension tightening his shoulders. 

“How’d you manage to escape?” Val continued, if for nothing than to make an effort at distracting Loki from his seemingly unflappable focus on Thor’s still form. “I mean,” she clarified, before she had to sit through another lecture on the inner workings of Loki’s magic. “I get the whole teleportation thing. Just...before that.”

“It wasn’t difficult.” Loki replied, immediately, though he did not turn to meet her gaze, and his hands continued to twist slightly together in his lap. 

“Really?” Val raised a somewhat disbelieving brow. “‘Cause you definitely seemed to be taking your time--” 

“I was biding my time.” Loki reminded, and finally tore his gaze from Thor to shoot her a dry look. 

“Sure.” Val shrugged, slightly. “So…” she pegged him with an expectant expression. 

Loki hesitated, his gaze flickering briefly back to Thor’s still form, before he exhaled a long sigh, and slumped slightly further forward. 

“I happen to have some...experience, working past the seemingly debilitating pain of your ‘obedience disks’.” he informed with a small shrug. “Once I was certain that the tide was in my favor, I simply slipped my bonds and--” he shot her a small, almost hesitant look. 

“They did not have much of a chance of stopping me.” he finished, a little lamely, after a moment. 

Val felt a small chill at the words, though she quickly pushed the sensation aside in favor of pressing, “So...If you knew that that would work...” she paused. “Then why didn’t you do it earlier?” 

“I--” Loki faltered and, if Val wasn’t entirely certain that he was incapable of it, she would have sworn that she saw a small flush creep up the skin of his neck and cheekbones. 

“I didn’t.” he informed, after a beat, his gaze held carefully averted, again. 

Val opened her mouth to reply, before the meaning of the words caught up with her. 

“You didn’t know it would work.” she breathed, and felt her breath stutter slightly within her chest. 

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?” Loki snapped, though the effort at irritation was almost pitifully weak. 

“But you…” Val shook her head, slightly. “You still--” 

You still sent me away. Were the words she could not force herself to say, even now. 

With no guarantee as to your own safety. 

No, scratch that. He had sent her away, willingly placing himself in danger and knowingly sacrificing an ally that may very well have secured his own successful escape. 

Val felt her brow furrow at the realization, and she turned again to face Loki, who was sat with his shoulders hunched, one hand pressed to his mouth in forced nonchalance as he kept his gaze carefully averted. 

There was another beat of silence, before Val shot a hand out to land a solid punch to his arm. 

“Ow!” Loki turned to give her a righteously offended look. 

“You’re an idiot.” Val informed, probably unnecessarily, and rose to her feet. “God, you’re an idiot.” 

“So I have been informed.” Loki replied, and inclined his head with a small, knowing smile. 

Val offered a small smirk in return, before she turned and began to stride back toward the captain’s chair--

Only to hesitate, her gaze fixed pointedly ahead and back still firmly to Loki. 

“Thank you.” she murmured, after a moment, lowly enough that the words might easily have been missed, then turned to shoot a somewhat stunned looking Loki a warning glare. 

“Don’t do it again.”

Loki blinked, before he huffed a small, surprisingly genuine laugh. 

“Duly noted.” 

Val nodded, once, before turning and exiting the room entirely, unable to ignore the small warmth smoldering to life between her ribs even if she had tried. 

[vickypoochoices]

Scrabble Heart.

Author's Note: I don't write James fics ever, but this idea came to me and he was the only person I could imagine pulling this off! I also need you to excuse any mistakes regarding the rules for Scrabble. I played once, over ten years ago, and cried because I was so awful at it! I've had a quick Google of the rules, and I know I've forgotten about the double points on the first go, but we can forget all about that when we see the outcome of this game right? I hope!

Tagging: I don't really have a tag list for James, so i'm sorry if I've tagged you and you aren't interested. @zigortega4life @emerald-bijou @littlegreenmoo @krsnlove

"I miss Zack. He would never pick on me like you have. Relentlessly. All day long.”

“Oh boo hoo. Cry me a river. Who do you think planted this little idea in my head in the first place?” Kaitlyn retorts, not even glancing up from where she's picking at her worn down, stubby nails.

A sharp hiss of breath, grinding teeth and a tight ball of scrunched up fingers under the table was her only response initially, a half hearted threat eventually following. "When he gets back I’m gonna...”

“Shower me with kisses? Squeeze me so tight I literally explode?” A giddy squeal from the entrance to the coffee shop interrupted her.

“ZACK?! What are you doing here?”

“Did you really think I’d miss one of the biggest nights of my best friend’s life?”

A sharp slap sounded out as the palms of Zack and Kaitlyn met in unison for a high five. Both wearing matching smug smiles. Both watching on as their friend sagged against a corner seat.

“Good job Liao. She’s a tough one to crack but with a little perseverance we’ll have her coming round to our way of thinking in no time.”

Zack slid into the seat next to her, bringing an arm up to hang loosely around her shoulders. Her nostrils flared at the overwhelming and intensely overpowering scent that followed. Not what she had grown accustomed to. Zack smelt fresh, fruity, exotic. Shrinking back slightly, she eyed him cautiously, taking note of his face. Flecked with a smattering of fresh freckles, and the tone of his skin; a shade pinker than what was probably deemed desirable. She flinched at the sudden thud of Zack's backpack tumbling to the floor.

Whilst one eyebrow remained in place, higher than the other, her hands betrayed her, instinctively grabbing at thin air greedily, eager to snap up the thick slab of chocolate she could see poking out the top of the bag.

“Present!” He exclaimed, still not making a move, eerily still and watching her closely. She swallowed hard, suddenly on edge.

“Did you get abducted by aliens whilst you were away or something? One, you are being really weird right now. Like, really weird. Two, the Zack I know would buy chocolate as a gift for me, but find it too irresistible and end up eating it himself then palm me off with a fridge magnet. And three, am I really supposed to believe that you got a tan if that’s what you want to call it, from a last minute trip around Europe?”

“Okay well one, if I really was abducted by aliens I’d be selling my story and making my millions right now instead of wasting my time here with you. Two, that was one time that I ate your chocolate and i’ve spent the last five years apologising for my mistake, how much longer are you going to hold it against me? And finally, Europe does get hot. Sometimes. I’ll have you know.” Zack puffed out the breath he’d been holding, cheeks reddening with each word. He looked her over, a smirk tugging at his lips, a glimmer in his eye.

“And I thought it could serve as your first engagement present too, I was going to get James a nice bottle of wine for tonight, but I ran out of money.”

She rolled her eyes, tutting loudly. “That’s it, I take it all back. From this moment on I am best friend less.” She stared pointedly at Zack, Kaitlyn giggling in the background as she stealthily swiped the chocolate bar, taking advantage of Zack's momentary lapse of concentration.

“Love you too babe! I’d better be the first person you call once James pops the question or I’ll seriously have to reconsider my answer when you ask me to be your man of honour.”

A sweet smile ghosted her lips as she flipped him the bird before flouncing out of the coffee shop. An unsettling feeling began to rise in the pit of her stomach, a bitter taste still apparent after the conversation she'd just had.

The fresh air hit her face on, hair whipping around wildly as a gust of autumnal wind swept past her. But she barely even noticed, subconsciously winding her pashmina a little tighter around herself, her nose burying into it. As her feet carried her off down the path littered with crunchy, crisp golden leaves, her mind was stuck in St. Mark's Basilica. The large round domes and marble multi coloured pillars. With her feet now rounding a corner, her mind wandered further, now walking along the Bridge of Sighs at the Doge's Palace. She paused for a second, surprising herself as a rumble of laughter escaped her mouth unexpectedly.

"It's fascinating here. And beautiful. We could get lost in Venice and roam the streets for months and I'd still never tire of this place." James talked animatedly, his pace of speech hurried as his excitement grew, all the while his thumb brushed over her knuckles soothingly, despite his apparent excitement overtaking his mouth.

The glistening water that passed them, as they both stole glances of each other. James looking at her wistfully and lingering. Nope. If he was going to propose it would have been then. In Italy. One of the most beautiful and romantic countries in the world. Or any one of the other amazing places they'd visited together. Not a random Thursday night in their apartment of all places. She shook her head, unsure why she even entertained the idea. This was Zack and Kaitlyn anyway. Why did she ever take them seriously in the first place?

A long, drawn out breath escaped as she made her way into her shared apartment with James, silently cursing the loud jangle of keys that seemed to slice through the silence. At least Zack didn't bring her another keyring back. Her set contained two keys but dozens of mismatched keyrings, mainly little momentos as a memory of the places her and James had visited. They'd taken a year off together. They were both busy and successful in their own rights, but some days it had seemed as though they were slipping into the old ships in the night routine, which so many long term relationships always seemed to suffer. James had often talked about showing her the world one day, until the words 'Why not today' tumbled out of her mouth in a rush, little to no thought actually going into the logistics of it all.

Twirling around on the spot, her eyes narrowed, skepticism pooling within her as she took note of her dimly lit surroundings. James sat hunched over their dining table, flicking his wrist a few times, a flickering flame from his matchstick disapating cleanly, her nostrils flaring slightly at the heavy smokey scent drifting towards her. The room would have been pitch black, were it not for the dozens and dozens of candles strategically dotted around the living room. Shit. He's not...?

Catching sight of her, James's demeanor changed, his eyes crinkling at the corners, mustering up a lopsided grin, neither confirming nor denying her suspicions.

"Hey." His voice was normal. Not squeaky or strained, no hint of nerves in the slightest. Her voice however betrayed her, the notes wavering shakily as she choked out a terse 'hey' of her own in response.

Something in the way she remained rooted to the spot, anxiously eyeing every candle painfully slowly must have prompted James as to the inner turmoil she was currently battling.

Striding the short distance between them, her fingers greedily snatched up the half full wine glass she found pressed between them, a trace amount dribbling out of the corner of her mouth as she struggled to knock it back cleanly in one.

He eyed her curiously, warmth jolting her to her senses as his hand covered hers, steadying, as he seamlessly removed the glass from her grasp and sat it down on a nearby coffee table. The warmth radiated through her, her whole body fighting off a chill she wasn't even aware of until now. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his warmth spread to her face, a rosy glow heating her cheeks as he cupped her face in his hand, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"The electricity's out."

She tried to reign in the breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding, a short puff of air the only thing to pass her lips somehow. Idiot! There's a perfectly good explanation after all!

"That...makes sense."

A rich chuckle rumbled, James cocking his head to the side as he looked her over from top to bottom, perplexed. "Are you okay?"

She stared, deadpan for a moment, mouth slightly agape before pulling herself together. She wasn't about to let Zack and Kaitlyn ruin this night. Game night was one of her favourite nights of the week!

Nodding her head once, setting her shoulders back and fixing her face with an award winning smile she hoped wasn't too over the top, she took a step towards the 'game table'. "I'm fine Ashton. Just eager to beat your ass, as usual!"

Breaking out into a grin, he paced over to the table, both now hovering by their designated seats. "Is that so?"

"Have you been getting a little extra practice in tonight?" She jerked her head towards the Scrabble board set out in the middle of the table, a few words scattered around.

"The pressure is on me tonight."

She swallowed hard, mind going into overdrive for all of thirty seconds before James pressed on.

"If I remember correctly, you've won two weeks in a row."

Bringing a hand up to cup around her ear, her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Say it a little louder."

He chuckled distractedly, his gaze dropping to her lips. As James took a step towards her, she took one backwards, the heel of her foot knocking into contact with her chair. Her eyes widened, a brief moment of panic washing over her. Fingers curling tightly around the fabric of James's shirt reflexively, she braced herself for the fall, expecting James to come tumbling down with her. Instead, strong arms encircled her waist, gently placing her harmlessly into position on her chair.

A momentary loss of balance forced James down with her. Their foreheads coming to rest together, her chest rising and falling exaggeratedly as she caught her breath. Grateful for the strong arms wrapped protectively around her and the feather light strokes of his fingertips along one of her hip bones that followed.

Her eyes found their way to his and found them seeking out an answer to his unanswered question. A slight angle of her head was all it took, her lips latching onto his once, then twice, hoping that would be enough to reassure him that she was fine.

"Someone's eager to play." James whispered into her covered neck, before dipping lower to place a single kiss against her collar bone.

Her cheeks flushed, slowly unravelling the long pashmina she'd long since forgotten about.

"How about we play later?" Her lips tugged upwards into a coy smile, as she beckoned him closer still with a crook of her finger.

A startling crackle from one of the candles distantly in the room pulled them apart.

A small patch of skin on the back of her hand glistened under the candlelight as James left a lingering kiss there. "As tempting as that offer is..."

The formation of a sharp crease between his brows had her unintentionally mirroring him, a furrow of confusion flitting across her features at the obvious deflection. His words were at odds with his facial features, and she couldn't understand why.

Swallowing down an influx of unwelcome emotions, a breezy smile slipped into place as she turned her attention to the table, eager for a distraction. Settling back in the chair and sucking in a healthy amount of air, she welcomed the space as James eased himself off of her, and into position opposite.

Hands steepled together, her wandering eyes latched onto the opposite side of the table. A collection of tiles with a mismatch of complete and half strung together words caught her attention, the most striking being Eternity. Chin jutting, eyes narrowed, voice croaking, she managed just one word.

"Cheat!"

"This is one game I very much hope I can win tonight." His eyes sparkled in the darkness.

"Ready when you are."

Dipping his head, James alternated between an awkward squint and a cocky flit between his letters. After what felt like an eternity, he finally placed down his first word. Love.

Really? All of that build up for four letters and seven fucking points?

"Losing never looked so sexy before." She smirked teasingly.

"I just need a little more time to warm up."

A thin sheen of sweat shone off his forehead, but before she could voice any concern a sharp buzz at the door interrupted. Raising an eyebrow questioningly, James shrugged casually, using the back of his hand to swiftly swipe at his clammy forehead.

"Well I couldn't make us dinner with the electricity out, so I went ahead and ordered us some pizza. Could you go? I'm pondering over my next move and I'll probably just start spurting out random words to the delivery guy if I go."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Ashton. I think you'll find it's my turn next. We didn't up the stakes last week without my knowledge did we? Because you are acting strange all of a sudden. Unless you just can't take the humiliation of being beaten by me three weeks in a row..."

"Sounds like someone is worried about that winning streak coming to an end."

With a stern face and narrowed eyes, she outstretched two fingers in front of her, before moving them back and forth between the pair, signalling that she's watching him.

"I promise you." James smiled, raising his hand and placing it over his heart, sincerity flushing his features. "I'm not cheating, and we didn't up the stakes. This game is an important one. There's no coming back from this for me if you beat me three weeks in a row."

She nodded her head once in acceptance before bounding over to the door, eager to get back to the game.

"Good evening ma'am." A muffled voice greeted her, buried behind a stack of pizza boxes.

"Seems everyone in the building had the same idea tonight, we're rushed off our feet. Now then, which one of these is yours?"

A middle aged, kind faced man suddenly appeared as he carefully manoeuvred the tower of boxes onto the floor.

"Huh, looks like there's been a mix up. Nothing is labelled, makes my job a hell of a lot harder let me tell you kid! There's no other way to do it than opening the boxes and looking through."

A slight huff and an irritated glance back at James followed, not that he noticed. He was hunched over, scrutinising each tile whilst stroking his chin absentmindedly.

"Alright let's do this. James is awkward and orders extra toppings, so I guess his should be easy to spot."

Time seemed to stand still as the delivery guy sifted through the mountain of boxes painstakingly slowly.

"Well what do you know, the bottom two eh? What are the chances?"

She found her eyebrows raising and her foot tapping, her patience well and truly tested now.

"Okay great. Thanks so much. Have a great night!" She strained out, struggling with all her might to refrain from slamming the door in his face.

"Can you believe that James? Next time I think I'd rather just starve!"

Winding her way back to the table, she frowned at the now vacant seat, James no where to be seen. Setting down the pizza boxes in the middle of the table, she let out a long sigh. Same thing every Thursday. Wine goes straight through him! Her lips curled up into a cunning smile, as she risked a peek behind her, ensuring James wasn't about to walk in and catch her stealing a glance at his rack and tiles. With the coast clear, she loomed over the empty seat on his side, her throat constricting instantly.

There were no spare tiles, on either James's side or her own. Just the Scrabble board, positioned perfectly straight, and completed. Her legs buckled, the safety of James's chair acting as a net and catching her, her elbows coming to rest on the table as she leaned forward, eyes erratically scanning over the words in place.

Love. Eternity. Italy.

Stomach clenching as realisation set in, she allowed her eyes to drop a little further down. An unmistakablely large diamond ring sat in the centre of the board, the accompanying tiles set out directly underneath it spelt out just four more words. Will. You. Marry. Me.

"I hope Zack and Kaitlyn didn't ruin the surprise."

Mouth agape, her head slowly turned to her right, gaze falling to the floor and landing on James, knelt down on one knee looking at her earnestly.

"James what...?"

"Is it hot in here all of a sudden or is it just me?"

"That might have something to do with the hundreds of candles you've got heating up the room."

"Right, yeah. I didn't think that one through properly did I?"

Her arms folded across her chest, the penny finally dropping.

"The power isn't out?"

"Nope."

"And the pizza delivery guy?"

A sheepish look flits across his face. "He might have been paid handsomely to help me out." He paused, clearing his throat loudly. "But babe, we've sort of strayed a little here."

Her stomach twisted into knots, her heart pounding harshly. "Right err..."

"No wait. This isn't right. I've spent the best part of a year planning all of this and I've messed it all up."

"A year?" She repeated quitely.

"It would have been too obvious to do it whilst we were jetsetting around the world. We'd talked about doing that together for so many years, I didn't want to take anything away from that experience for you."

Her face softened at his words. My James. Always so thoughtful.

"I didn't think it was possible, but every day I fell more and more in love with you. I nearly caved in a few times, even went as far as to check out a jewelers whilst we were in Malta. Then you text me saying you'd woken from your nap and you were starving so I came home with food instead of a ring."

She couldn't help but giggle, cursing herself mentally. Damn you stomach!

"And then we came home and we settled back into our old routine and I thought I'd missed my chance. Then I realised, none of that even matters. I could wine you and dine you in an extravagant restaurant. Or we could stay in, surrounded by all of our firsts."

She chewed on the inside of her lip nervously, but her expression must have faltered, as she felt James stroke her hand timidly, taking a moment to find the right way to answer her confusion.

"The first time we kissed. The first time together properly, how could I ever forget? The first confession of love I'd ever muttered to anyone before. The first experience of living with a partner, my beautiful partner." His eyes softened.

"The first proposal. Hopefully the last! The first moments afterwards, when you've given me your answer..."

Diving downwards and pressing against him forcibly, they fell backwards, tumbling together into the floor. For the second time that night, James found himself instinctively curling his arms around her protectively, their lips melding together in a sudden fierce frenzy.

Panting as he pulled away, James cradled her face in his hands, thumb gently stroking either side in adoration. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm glad I could soften the fall for you."

"That yes was an answer to your original question James."

"Right right." He nodded his head slowly, taking a moment for the words to sink in properly. "Yes, as in yes yes?"

"Okay, that word is officially banned from now on!" She quipped, face widening in a broad smile.

Raising her hands to his lips and brushing a kiss to each finger individually, he kept his eyes locked on her's, the threat of happy tears brimming in his eyes as he slowly slipped the ring onto her finger.

"There's just one thing left to do now." He murmured against her mouth, tugging at her bottom lip.

"Which is?"

"Finish the game, of course. What else?"