She walked directly toward Thor's chambers. She remembered that he and Jane were probably together. Normally, she would never have considered entering without knocking. She had already turned away from his door earlier that evening because she had heard them inside and assumed they deserved privacy. Now, she couldn't care less.
She pushed the doors open. "Thor Odinson! You evil son of a bi—"
She composed herself because that was not the type of language she used, especially not when it included someone's mother, let alone his, she was her mother-in-law, whom she loved and respected dearly. There was a startled noise from inside. Eirlys stopped only long enough to see Thor scrambling to cover himself with the nearest blanket while Jane sat beside him, equally startled by the sudden intrusion.
"Eirlys!" Thor exclaimed. "What in the Nine Realms are you doing?"
"What did you do to Loki?"
Thor stared at her as Jane looked between them. "Eirlys, maybe you should—"
"No." She stepped farther into the room. "You thought trapping him somewhere he couldn't use his magic to escape was funny?"
Thor's expression hardened slightly. "It was a prank."
"A prank?"
"He wasn't hurt."
"He was bound, gagged and trapped in a moving pocket realm!"
Thor opened his mouth but Eirlys did not let him speak. "You knew exactly what you were doing."
Thor's expression shifted as he realized just how furious she was. "Eirlys, calm down."
That was the wrong thing to say, she crossed the remaining distance between them and slapped him. The sound cracked through the chamber. Thor went completely still and Jane stared in shock. The force behind it had been considerably greater than the slap Jane had given Loki on the day she arrived. Eirlys's strength had sent Thor's head to the side, and when he slowly turned back, the sting was unmistakable across his cheek, he had absolutely nothing to say.
Jane rose quickly, crying to hide whatever was left unseen. "Eirlys, stop."
Eirlys turned toward her, her anger still burning. "You slapped my husband when you first came to Asgard," she said coldly. "I said nothing. I let it go because I thought you were angry and didn't understand the situation."
Jane's expression faltered.
"But don't mistake that silence for permission." She looked back at Thor. "And you," and continued, "are supposed to be his older brother. You know exactly what he's been through. You know what it means when someone takes away his ability to control a situation, and you still thought this was funny."
Thor remained silent as Eirlys's voice dropped. "I don't care if you are my oldest friend. I don't care if you've known me longer than anyone here. You do not get to hurt my man and call it a joke."
As she turned toward the door, Jane looked as though she wanted to say something, but Eirlys stopped her with one final glance. "And Jane? If you ever raise your hand on him again, remember that being a guest in this family does not make you untouchable."
Then Eirlys stormed out, leaving the doors swinging behind her. Thor sat in stunned silence, one hand slowly rising to his cheek. Jane looked at him as he stared at the closed doors. Because even he knew he had gone too far.
By the time Eirlys returned to their chambers, the anger that had carried her through the corridors had begun to settle into something heavier. She closed the door quietly behind herself and found Loki exactly where she had left him, propped against the pillows with his wrists resting loosely in his lap. He looked considerably more comfortable now, though the faint marks left by the bindings were still visible against his skin.
His eyes immediately found hers. "Where have you been?"
Eirlys walked toward the bed and sat beside him. For a moment, she said nothing, simply reached for his hand and turned it over in hers, inspecting his wrists again as though she could somehow undo what had happened by touching the marks. "Just returned someone's favour."
Loki's eyebrow rose but he clearly knew better than to ask, but the faint curve of his mouth suggested that he could make a very good guess.
Eirlys leaned closer and gently brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For asking you to tolerate them." Her expression softened with guilt. "I knew they were going to tease you, but I didn't know they would take it that far. I should have realized they might get carried away."
Loki looked down at their joined hands. "You didn't know."
"I still should have been more careful."
"You're not responsible for everything your family does."
Eirlys sighed and shifted closer until her shoulder rested against his. "I'm also sorry for Thor."
Loki glanced at her.
"He's your brother," she continued quietly. "But he's also my friend. I know that doesn't make what he did acceptable, but I still feel like I owe you an apology from his side as well."
Loki stared at her for a moment before giving an exhausted little laugh. "You don't need to apologize for the dim-witted, overgrown beast of that brother of mine."
Eirlys's mouth twitched. "Overgrown beast?"
"Would you prefer something kinder?"
"No." She laughed softly, and some of the tension finally left the room. Then she thought of Ethan changed her expression. "Wait."
Loki looked at her. "Yeah?"
"Was Ethan involved?"
"Not that I know of."
"You're sure?"
"Your brother left earlier," Loki explained. "He had some business involving your kingdom. He wasn't there when the others decided that imprisoning me in another dimension would be amusing."
Eirlys released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thank the Norns."
Loki smiled. "At least one of us has a responsible brother."
"Apparently." She settled closer against him, carefully resting her head against his shoulder. Loki slipped an arm around her waist, drawing her gently against his side. Eirlys's fingers moved slowly over the back of his hand, occasionally tracing the faint marks around his wrists. There was something deeply intimate about the quietness between them. With no family, teasing or expectations, it was quiet. Just the two of them, finally alone after a day that seemed determined to test the limits of their patience.
"I meant what I said earlier," Eirlys whispered.
Loki looked down at her. "What?"
"I'll take care of you."
His expression softened. "You don't have to take care of me every moment."
"I know." She lifted her head slightly and looked into his eyes. "But I want to."
Loki's hand moved gently along her back. "Then stay."
Eirlys smiled. "I wasn't planning on going anywhere."
She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against his forehead, lingering there for a moment before settling against him again. Loki closed his eyes. After everything that had happened, the simple warmth of her beside him felt more reassuring than any grand promise could have been. She eventually fell asleep against him, her breathing settling into a slow, even rhythm as exhaustion finally overcame her. Loki remained awake, one arm still around her, his fingers resting lightly against her back. He knew she had been genuinely sorry for what had happened to him. He had seen it in her eyes, heard it in her voice, felt it in the way she had stayed beside him instead of simply offering a polite apology and walking away.
And yet, sleep refused to come. Because there was still something she did not know. The truth of his existence. His blood. His past. The things he had done and the things he had hidden beneath every carefully constructed smile. He could accept her anger if she ever discovered it. What frightened him was the possibility that she would look at him differently afterward. That she would finally understand who he was and decide she wanted nothing to do with him. Loki looked down at her sleeping face. For now, she was still there and that had to be enough.