If Fenrir had been a cat, he would have been purring.

As it was, he simply wriggled with delight in Mayura's lap as her fingers administered a thorough scratching to the back of his ears, even while she wandered far away in her thoughts.

After Loki-kun's mansion had magically reinstated itself over the space of one night, (a fact that Mayura's mind recognized as an incredible fushigi mystery, but really, was anything more fantastical than getting married to a god?), he had told her that he had some business in Asgard, and left.

It had been almost a full month, since then.

"Mou! And to think our own wedding is in a week's time, and he's still not back!" The very idea was making her jittery, in a excited, butterfly-in-the-stomach sort of way... And she was determined to savor every moment of it. After all, she reflected elatedly, you only get to be a bride once in a lifetime.

Yamino-san coughed discreetly. Mayura looked up at him, and gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Yamino-san... Was I thinking out loud?"

He smiled fondly back at her, and proceeded to refill her teacup. "Mayura-san, time does flow slower in Asgard... And I'm sure Loki-sama will... more than make up for his absence when he's back." His eyes held a knowing merriment, and Mayura pouted. "Why won't any of you tell me anything about why Loki-kun went back to Asgard?"

Yamino returned her a look of impeccable guilelessness. "I'm afraid you'll have to ask that from Loki-sama himself when he returns, Mayura-san."

She puffed up one cheek and made a face at him.

Below her hand, Fenrir nudged insistently at her fingers, which had stopped moving in the train of her ruminations. She laughed at his yapping, and continued her ministrations, exhaling a wistful sigh. "I wish I could understand what Fenrir is saying."

Yamino chuckled. "I'm not too sure about that, Mayura-san. Nii-san isn't... the most complimentary of speakers."

At that, the black puppy squinted at his brother, and let loose a series of snappy barks. Yamino winced.

"What did he say?" Mayura pressed eagerly.

"That the term is honest, and that being honest is far better than being... uhh... overly polite." The Midgard serpent translated the last bit so falteringly that it was obvious, even to her, that that was not the term Fenrir had used.

"Mmm." Mayura gazed ponderingly at the pup curled up in her lap, and sighed again, this time with regret. "I wish I could see Ecchan, too. It's kind of sad that I probably won't ever be able to see one of the members of this family..."

"Mayura-san..."

Her eyes fell on the half-eaten slice of cake on the table, and she brightened as an idea occurred to her. "Ne, Yamino-san... Can Ecchan eat?"

He blinked at this sudden change in mood. "Yes, she can... But why?"

She scooped up a forkful of the cream cake and waved it temptingly in the air. "Ecchan...?"

After a second, Mayura felt a slight pressure at the end of the fork, and a portion of the cake disappeared. Exhilarated, she glanced up at Yamino. "Did she just...?"

"Yes, she did." He smiled at the apparently empty space above the fork.

"Well, it's something." She beamed.

Yamino watched her feed Ecchan, who was squeaking happily at the treat. "Mayura-san...?"

She looked distractedly at him. "Yep?"

"... How can you take all of this so calmly? I mean..."

There was a flicker of sadness and regret on her face, before her usual cheerful demeanor reasserted itself. "I had six years to accept it, Yamino-san."

He found himself completing the thought. Six long, irrecoverable years.

"Ne, Yamino-san..."

Shaken out of his thoughts, he looked inquiringly at her. She fidgeted uneasily under his questioning gaze.

"How do you and Fenrir feel about... me marrying Loki-kun?"

He stared, before understanding burst on him. "If you're worried that we will object..."

Shaking her head, she repeated, "I mean, do you... umm... approve of me becoming... your step-mother?" She flushed with embarrassment, even as she stuttered the words.

Yamino weighed his words, sensing her insecurity. Finally, he looked directly at her, and smiled reassuringly. "Loki-sama needs you, Mayura-san... No matter how much he professes otherwise. And that's reason enough for us to approve of you."

"So you don't dislike me, or anything?" The smoldering ashes of doubt and anxiety stirred in the depths of her innocent crimson eyes, and he laughed. "No, of course not."

She relaxed, smiling in relief. "Thank goodness."

Yamino picked up the empty plate before her. "Mayura-san... Loki-sama really does need you. And although Nii-san will never admit it," Fenrir growled and looked highly uncomfortable, "we're all very glad that you decided to return to Loki-sama's side. Thank you."

Mayura blinked, and then smiled. She shook her head, and whispered, "I'm glad, too."

He made to leave, but was held back by her voice. "Yamino-san, do you think I could stay here tonight?"

It was on his tongue to ask why, until her expression stopped him. An odd mixture of yearning and melancholy, which just did not belong on her face. "... Of course, Mayura-san."

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

Cloaked in the shadows of the night, a silhouette came to stand at the front porch of an immense mansion. It hesitated, before reaching out a hand to touch the antique door. Curiously enough, the elaborate affair of carved wood and wrought steel swung open silently at his touch, as though welcoming its master, and the shrouded frame stepped into the abode.

Loki sighed wearily; the past few weeks of persuasion and constant conferences had taken their toll on him, but at least he had obtained what he wanted. I suppose Yamino-kun and Fenrir are already asleep. He debated the need to shower, then grimaced at the time it would take to fill their tub with hot water... And he absolutely refused to bathe in anything less than steaming hot liquid.

Fine. The bed it is.

Having determined as such, he straightened and strode purposefully to his room, anticipating the luxury of satin sheets against his skin, pushed open the door...

And froze.

By the illumination of a small lamp on his side-table, he managed to discern a curvy figure in his bed, and a river of pink hair spilling over the pillows. A figure who was breathing deeply and regularly, her face composed in peaceful slumber.

"Well now." He blinked, just once, a gesture most unlike him.

Her breathing changed, and she sat up slowly, rubbing at her eyes. "Loki-kun...?"

He approached the bed cautiously, noting in passing the way the lamplight reflected off her silken nightdress in soft folds of golden luminance. "Did I wake you up?"

She shook her head, and he came to her side, still slightly confused.

Then, as if having one's fiancé return in the dead of night after a month of absence, only for him to find oneself sleeping in his bed was the most natural thing in the entire world, she calmly leaned over to place her arms around him. "Welcome home, Loki-kun."

Three simple words which, somehow, meant so much.

He gathered her into his arms and coiled her hair around his wrist, and let it fall from his hand, before winding it around his fingers again. As he watched the tresses cascading down her back, again and again, catching the golden glow of the lamp, something taut in him unwound.

"Mmm. So, why are you in my bed?" His voice was teasing, amused.

She pressed her cheek into his hard chest, and released a soft sigh. "I missed you, Loki-kun."

A peculiar warmth spread through him at her words, and he tugged lightly at a lock. "Not answering the question, are we?"

"I did. Mou..." She sounded drowsily cross.

He laughed quietly, and then slid into bed with her, enjoying the little squeal she gave at the coldness of his limbs. "I should probably change." He lay still, letting her sweet scent of wild lilac envelop him.

She drew back from the embrace, and he looked at her. "Mayura?"

She murmured sleepily, "Didn't you want to change?" Her fingers began undoing his tie, and Loki startled at her sudden boldness. And he became intensely aware of just how close they were, and how pliant she was in his arms... And he was sorely tried to not pull her closer still.

Finally, she had his tie and jacket off, piled in a small heap behind him, and then she cuddled, her warmth seeping through the fine cotton of his shirt. "Loki-kun..." Almost immediately, she drifted back into blissful sleep.

He, on the other hand, lay awake for a long time, unmoving, yet grappling with an erupting desire as he possessed her hungrily with his eyes, his gaze traveling the curvaceous terrain of her body. The curve of her neck, the round of her shoulder, the fullness of her breasts and hips.

Eventually, he slipped carefully from the bed, and went to the bathroom. To take a long, cold shower.

It was going to be a long night... and week.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

"Where's the veil?"

"Forget that, where's the ring?"

The place was in total uproar as the many goddesses rushed about, preparing for the wedding. Mayura sat before her dressing table, brushing her long hair out, completely impervious to the bedlam about her.

She could scarcely believe that she really was wedding Loki-kun. It was impossible, incredible... And she felt a sudden chill of irrational terror. What if it was all a mistake? Or a dream? Or...

No, she decided firmly, braking her runaway thoughts. I'm being silly. And resolutely, she put away the fear. For now...

For now, she would concentrate only on the fact that she was Loki-kun's bride, and nothing else.

"... Mayura."

Her father regarded her with something like pain and resignation in his eyes. "Papa?"

"You'll be leaving my household today, Mayura. Before that, I wanted to apologize for... hitting you. And... to tell you to take care."

She giggled at his awkward contrition. "It's not like I'm going far away, Papa."

He smiled, a little sadly, at that. "Come back once in a while, Mayura."

"I will, Papa. Love you."

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

To the average passerby, the wedding ceremony was nothing out of the ordinary, if one discounted the obviously foreign clothing some of the guests were wearing.

To people in the know, however, the sight of the entire pantheon of Norse gods, attending a Christian-style wedding on Midgard, was - to say the least - bizarre in the extreme.

It didn't help that Frigg had firmly shooed the priest to one side and taken over the proceedings, either.

"Do you, Loki Laufeyjarson, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." Loki gave the slender goddess a confident smile, and Mayura envied him that. She certainly didn't feel that confident.

Then Frigg turned to her, and she straightened, coming to attention. "And do you, Daidouji Mayura, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Mayura smiled what she hoped was a steady smile, her stomach clenching with nerves.

"Then, I pronounce you man and wife. You may exchange your rings."

They turned towards each other on that cue, and Mayura was once again struck by how beautiful Loki-kun was. With the sunlight streaming through his hair, changing it to a molten halo, and his emerald eyes alive with devilry, he looked every bit the Trickster God of Nordic myths. Feeling strangely shy, she offered him a hesitant smile, and saw the corners of his lips quirk in knowing amusement.

A handmaiden brought forth a silk cushion bearing two simple rings of gold. He retrieved the smaller of the two, and took her hand in his. Raising it, he pressed his lips to the back of her ring finger in a wordless vow which sang sweetly in her heart.

Gently, he slipped the golden band on her finger, holding her hand for a second longer before releasing it. She looked down at the ring, a warm weight on her finger, and soared. And this time, the smile she gave him was one of pure joy.

Her fingers seemed suddenly swollen and clumsy as she picked up the other ring to attempt to place it on his finger. He watched gravely as she grappled with the task, waiting. When the deed was finally done, he rewarded her with a mischievous smile; then totally uncaring of their audience, he caught her hand in his and pulled her to him.

"Loki-kun!"

Any other protests she might have made died at his bone-melting kiss.

When he was through, Frigg frowned disapprovingly down at him. "You didn't wait for me to tell you to kiss your bride!"

He shrugged, a satisfied smirk on his face. "What's a few formalities?"

Frigg glared at him.

He laughed softly, then clasped Mayura's hand in his. "Shall we go?"

His eyes were deeply tender, and a thrill of happiness rang in her. She nodded, and he grinned. Without warning, he swept her up in his arms, and blithely ignoring her squeal of surprise, led the procession to their home.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

What if she rejected the apple?

It occurred to Loki, rather belatedly, that Mayura might not want to become immortal. He watched her mingling with the female half of the pantheon, although she - noticeably - did not stray too far from him.

Her gaze came back, as always, to linger on him, her eyes shining with delighted laughter. Giving her a smile, he felt uncertainty flare in him.

She mustn't reject it.

Not now, not when he had come to realize the depth of his feelings for her.

"You look so serious, Loki-kun."

He startled, then looked down to see her peering questioningly at him. "I guess I do." He kissed her forehead lightly.

"Is something wrong?" she persisted, her face worried.

Avoiding a direct answer, he smiled reassuringly. "I'll tell you about it later."

She frowned fretfully at him, then relented. "Promise, okay?"

"I promise, you silly goose." He prodded her forehead laughingly.

After studying him for an instant, she smiled. "Love you, Loki-kun." Reaching up, she pecked him on the chin, before bouncing off again.

His eyes followed her as she talked animatedly with Thor. Just like the quick kiss she had given him, Mayura had always been on the flighty side, carried along on the temperamental current of her emotions and fancies. Of her feelings towards him, however, he was sure... Why else would anyone bear such a painful attachment for six years?

The thought gave him hope, but also disquieted him. What if she accepted his gift out of love, only to regret it years later?

Complications, indeed. He sighed.

"It's a little late to have misgivings, Loki-sama."

"... Urd."

The goddess came up from behind him, her eyes also trained on the pink-haired woman who had captured him so unexpectedly.

He shrugged. "I'm not having misgivings, exactly."

She raised an elegant eyebrow. "Then?"

He gazed at her, savoring the way she seemed to glow with her joy. "... I want her to be happy, that's all." The words were soft, drawn from the deepest, truest part of him.

"Do you not believe in yourself?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you don't believe in her."

He shot the Norn a sharp look. "I love her."

Skuld's eyes were stern. "The two are not the same, Loki-sama."

He made no reply.

"... While it may not be my place to do so, I would commend to you the power of faith, Loki-sama. Certainly, Mayura-san has utmost trust in you."

With that, she turned and left him alone with his thoughts.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

Long after the festivities of their wedding had wound down, long after the sable blanket of night had fallen, he cradled her gently in the crook of his arms, their bodies spent.

Her breathing was slow, and deep, and he knew she was on the verge of falling asleep. Tenderly, he touched a kiss to her temple, and she responded drowsily. "Loki-kun?"

He had to do this now, before he lost his nerve. "I have something to give you, Mayura."

"Hmm?" Stirring, she stretched languidly, her smile filled with a feminine satisfaction. Her lashes fluttered open, and she gazed at him, her soft crimson eyes still slightly damp from the tears she had shed in the course of their earlier loving.

As he watched the glowing expression of trust in her features, Urd's words came back to him in a rush.

He would not betray that trust, not ever.

And, looking back at her, he consigned common sense to hell in one daring leap of faith. "This." Producing the precious apple from apparently nowhere, he gave it to her, along with his trust.

She propped herself up with one arm, the ghost of a flinch passing through her face as her lower abdomen ached dully with the movement. Wonderingly, she stroked the golden apple with her fingertips. "... Idun's... apples?"

He gave a brief nod, his breath held.

Curling her legs under herself, she cupped the flawless fruit in her hands. "Loki-kun..."

"I want you to choose, Mayura." He sat up as well, but did not attempt to draw her close. If he wanted to, he could very well just seduce an agreement out of her... But he loved her, and therefore, he would give her the freedom to pick their path.

She looked up at him, her crimson eyes wide, seeking.

"Choose, Mayura." Please.

All of a sudden, she smiled, and bit into the honey-sweet flesh before he could stop her.

Alarm sprung into his heart, doing fierce battle with the selfish happiness that had blossomed there. "Mayura, wait!"

She swallowed, then looked up at him, her eyes smiling and infinitely passionate. Twisting, she nestled into him and whispered, "This way, I can be with you forever, ne?"

Euphoria caught in his throat, and he held her steady as she ate. "... Are you sure?" And he found himself praying desperately that she was.

She nodded, just a little. "I love you, Loki-kun." Her voice was muffled by the presence of the fruit at her mouth... But still, he felt the truth of her words, heard the overjoyed laughter in them. She sighed blissfully, and added simply, "I'm so glad." About what, she did not elaborate; but he knew all the same.

He buried his face in her hair, an outpouring of relief overwhelming him. "... I love you, Mayura."

She said nothing, but let herself go limp, giving herself over to him in an ultimate, intoxicating gesture of trust. And he knew that she was wearing a smile, just as he was.

Finally, she finished the apple. Plucking the core from her hand, he placed it carefully aside to dispose of later, and brought her hand to his mouth. He held her eyes, a wicked smirk in his own emerald ones.

Slowly, he licked the honeyed juice off her fingers. Enticingly.

She shivered deliciously. "Loki-kun, wait..."

Grasping her fingers in his, he pulled her to him and took her in a fierce kiss which left them both breathless and shaking.

Leaving her mouth, his lips roved over her face. "No?" Deliberately, he dropped his voice to its lowest notch, making it as rich and irresistible as the finest chocolate. "There's still so much I can teach you, Mayura." His hand caressed her stomach hungrily, commanding her passion. "So much." The last words were breathed in a huskily alluring whisper, a promise of what was to come.

Her response was decidedly unexpected.

As he lowered her beneath him, she slid her arms around his neck, and offered him a shy smile that was not wholly innocent. "You have forever to teach me, Loki-kun."

The blatantly inviting answer stunned him for a fraction of a second, before he threw back his head to laugh exultantly. "So I do."

Then, he bent his head, and feasted.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

Authoress: And that's a wrap.

Special thanks to everyone who have made me so happy with your reviews! XD I love you people! -glomps-

Also, I apologize for letting the reviews pile up - unreplied - but I promise I'll be getting to work on them straight away.

And above all... Merry Christmas, and happy holidays!