Chapter Text
Long ago, when things were simpler, Perseus dreamed.
At first, it began as daydreams, simple little things that he would see from the corner of his eye when everyone was stressed, and war was on the horizon. Then, it morphed into regular dreams, bringing a smile to his face as he slept because forming one when he was awake was just too difficult.
He dreamt that he was human, and Loki was one as well, and he wondered if they would have fallen in love, if the Norns would have looked at them twice and woven their strings together infinitely.
Sometimes, he'd be a child, a being of innocence and joy, and Loki would be a little boy that caught his eye that he swore to marry when he was older. Other times, he was a young adult working to make ends meet and the god of mischief was just some man that needed a place to rest and conveniently found him.
A world of coincidences, his dreams were.
A world of infinite possibilities.
Perseus didn't actually celebrate Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Yule, or any other winter themed holiday. He just was and is, and he dreamed and dreamed.
"It's the winter." Loki would say as they walked through Alltid, snow gently falling on petals of infinite flowers. "How do you feel?"
"Like it's another day." Perseus responded honestly as he lifted his hand, causing an unseen gust of wind to gently breeze through the area to rid flowers of ice that was too heavy for their stems. "And you?"
"Thor wants to celebrate Yule as a family as well as with the rest of Asgard." Loki commented as he drew his green coat closer around him. He wasn't cold, far from it, but he found the motion soothing nonetheless. "This is the first time he has ever suggested such a thing and I can only assume it's due to your influence."
Perseus shrugged, a small smile gracing his lips. "I only teach him to cherish what he has. Will you be having your own feast as a family."
"I shall think not since we will be hosting one for the people. However, I do know how much of a glutton Thor can be, so we will have to see. What of you? Will you be celebrating Yule with your mother?"
The older god tilted his head. "No, we don't celebrate it. We always work, what with all of Asgard drinking their hearts away. I suppose we're not a family of tradition. Does that make me a bad person?"
"Norns, no. I think it's quite refreshing, actually. Are there no Yule traditions that you like?"
Perseus hesitated for a moment as he thought on it before he gave a lopsided smirk, his sea green eyes shining. "There is one that I am quite fond of." He gently grasped Loki's hand and pulled him close until they were nearly chest to chest. He glanced up before looking back at Loki to see his reaction.
Loki didn't disappoint as his eyes widened, taking in the mistletoe that hung above them. The tree had not been there a minute ago, and the younger god's face was lit with awe. "You romantic fool." He had laughed as he cupped his lover's face gently with his free hand. "Do you remember the story of the mistletoe?"
"It's a funny tale, Mischief. My favorite one, in fact. What say you?"
"It was very enjoyable for myself. Fools, they all were."
"You will be an even bigger fool if you don't kiss me in the next five seconds." Perseus raised an eyebrow. "I cannot wait forever."
Loki laughed, shaking his head. "You wouldn't wait forever for me, my love?"
The older god sighed, leaning into the hand on his face that cradled him close. "You know I would wait forever and always for you." He looked at him with his sea green eyes, the ones that held all of the words he could not say. "Maybe even a little after that."
"Forever and always." Loki agreed, finally leaning forward to kiss the god that waited what felt like eons for someone like his Mischief.
Perseus sighed into the kiss, tears building up behind his eyelids and dampening his lashes. It was slow and sweet, as if they really did have forever at their fingertips. He wasn't sure why he was so emotional, why his heart hurt so much. He didn't want to dwell on it, didn't want to know if the Norns wanted to relay him a message because, by the gods, he just wanted Loki to hold him.
"Are you alright?" Loki asked when they parted, using a thumb to wipe a stray tear that fell down the other's face. "Why are you so sad?"
"I am not sure." Perseus laughed wetly, releasing Loki's hand to wipe at his eyes. "Perhaps the Norns are trying to tell me something."
The god of mischief's eyebrows furrowed together and he frowned. "What could the Norns be telling you to make you cry like so?"
He shrugged, moving closer to his lover so he could wrap his arms around his waist, burrowing his head in the crook of his neck. "I do not know. I haven't listened."
"Are you scared to?"
"Wouldn't you be?"
Loki nodded, holding the other close. "I suppose I would be. If I had the script to the future, I don't believe I would ever turn the page."
"Even just a minute?"
"I am content where we are right now."
Loki leaned back and kissed the other god slowly, and Perseus sighed once again into it, feeling as though he was being taken apart and put back together in the middle of a moment.
"I know what they are trying to tell me." Perseus said when they parted, and he opened his eyes to see Loki gone where he had stood. "Fates never liked me," He said, voice a bare whisper. "But I thought it would do better by you."
