Chickens and Swords

[alittlehinky]

Ain't gonna let this lick me. Cricket came to this conclusion weeks ago, but he has to repeat it to himself at least a few times a day. Silently. He's honestly still adapting, and it's frustrating, but the longer it goes on, the better he gets. He always had pretty good upper-body strength, but it's increased even more after practice wheeling himself in a chair, or holding onto Willie's saddle. He's had to hire help making deliveries, but after a period of struggle and relearning, he's back to doing his own manufacturing. Even some canning, now, in preparation for fall and winter on the horizon.

There are ten cases of apple cider in the shed, ready to be shipped out in the morning.

Right now, he's on a layer of blankets on the porch, surrounded by half a dozen pumpkins. He started to carve the biggest and orange-est, but after the seeds had been removed and set in the kitchen to dry, another idea took hold of him, and now he's carefully twisting and weaving a grapevine wreath in the shape of a familiar two-horned circlet. He can probably find some gold spray paint for it in the Plaza. Loki can decide whether a spooky face is needed, from there...

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[magpiemythos]

Life went on, and Cricket adapted. Loki helped as he was able, definitely pleased to see him doing better after the initial scare of the situation. He knew it was still frustrating, so the trickster tried to be as helpful as he could, lending more of a hand as Cricket got busier, especially while he was still workshopping how to do things while his legs were still out of commission.

He'd honestly forgotten about his commission in the whole situation, until he got the message that it was finished. It sat tucked safely away in one of his little pocket dimensions for another week while he fretted over the perfect opportunity before he finally gave that idea up as nonsense. And another week while he gathered his nerve.

He'd spent the morning at the bar, making sure that everything would be running smoothly before taking off for a bit, intending to come spend some time with Cricket, whether he was busy with something or just wanted to hang out. And spotting him on the porch, Loki couldn't help but smile as he ambled up, hands in his pockets. "Hey there, Pretty Cricket."

Now. He should do it now, clearly!

[alittlehinky]

It doesn't hurt, anyway, and while Cricket is still thinking he might put up with a little pain in exchange for the ability to at least stand up, he's started to count blessings, rather than grieve over problems. And he's proud of that, honestly.

Loki has been unfailingly patient. At this point in their lives together, Cricket had no real doubt that Loki was serious about him, about them, although whether they should do anything further about that is something he's been afraid to consider for a host of logistical and emotional reasons. But the fact that he's had to help him into and out of the shower lately, and has done it without a single complaint (not without teasing, perhaps, but it was the nice kind of teasing), ought to be proof of affection enough for any man.

He's lucky. So goddamn lucky!

Willie is dozing in the grass as Loki approaches, but her tail thumps as he passes by. Thori probably isn't far, maybe under the porch or near the chicken coop. All in all, it's an idyllic scene that the trickster walks up to, and when Cricket's face lights up at the sight of him, that probably just drives the point home.

"Pretty bird," he fires back warmly. "Gonna have birdseed for you later, once I finish with these. You like toasted pumpkin seeds?"

[magpiemythos]

It wouldn't be Loki if he didn't tease at least a little. And he knew at some point the patience would chafe but hopefully that would be far enough out from the initial incident that it wouldn't rub too raw should he resort to some mischief.

"You're making me snacks?" Loki replied in a light, playful tone as he plunks down, leaning in to press a kiss to Cricket's cheek with a grin. "I love them. Might make me basic, but it is what it is."

By now Cricket knows what he means by 'basic' even if he hasn't explained the fall variants of the theme.

"I have a present for you." Oh. Oh well there he said it. Now he has to do it, right? Right. He's absolutely going to do it now, rather than produce something else nice but absolutely not what he'd been talking about. (Which he'd absolutely done earlier that week already with a soapstone carving of a chicken.)

[alittlehinky]

Cricket hates that he's semi-dependent, but if he needs help from room to room, at least he can go to the toilet by himself. It could be worse. It could always be worse. If nothing else, this whole fiasco has reminded him of that.

He gives a soft chuckle at that kiss, leaning into it a little. "Basic. I ain't makin' lattes in here, but I can just about manage a pumpkin pie. Maybe for dinner tomorrow."

The less he works outdoors, the more he settles into cooking. It's a hobby at this point.

"Another present?" He loved the soapstone chicken. Cricket is incredibly easy to please with small gifts, since he never owned a whole lot as a child. The chicken has a place of honor on the mantel, and if a silly name hasn't been devised for it yet, it's not for want of trying.

"You're workin' overtime on spoiling me this week." He tilts his head to rest it on Loki's shoulder. "Ain't complaining, though."

[magpiemythos]

"Basic is more than just lattes," Loki hummed, definitely amused. "But I absolutely won't say no to pumpkin pie."

It's a trade-off. Where Cricket's attention turns more to indoor options, Loki takes over the more free-range chores needed to keep their little homestead chugging along happily. Not that he minds it, especially when he comes around in time to catch Cricket in the kitchen and they can both spend some time cooking or baking together. It's a weird, utterly domestic little detail that he's found himself a fan of.

"Another present!" Loki confirmed, feeling a thrill of excited nervousness that just might bleed into his tone a bit. "A bit bigger than the chicken though."

Confirmed when he seemingly plucked it out of thin air- long, thin, wrapped in broadcloth that he tentatively laid in Cricket's lap. Unwrapped, it was clearly a viking-style sword, though the pattern engraved on the blade was made up of stylized Appalachian wildflowers, rather than the more expected options.

[alittlehinky]

Cricket has spent enough time with Loki to pick up on that tone, and it makes him...not wary, because he trusts Loki, but definitely alert. There is subtext here, and he has no idea what it could be. He has a fleeting second to hope to whatever gods are listening and not present that it's nothing to do with his current weakened state, and then there's a sword in his lap.

He is very confused! He has never in his life used a sword, though he's at least capable with a hunting knife, and any connotations escape him. It's so beautiful, though! The flowers on the blade are familiar at once, and he can't help but smile as he touches the pattern of trillium and violet blossoms in the center. This was definitely custom made with Cricket in mind. He just can't fathom why.

"Never saw anything like it," he breathes, honestly, and smiles a little shyly at Loki. "It's a beautiful gift, Pretty Bird, only does this mean we gotta fight somethin'? Because I wouldn't know the first thing about using it."

[magpiemythos]

Loki was still, just watching Cricket studying the blade with an intent uncertainty. The smile eases his worries a bit, but he still feels those butterflies churning in his gut regardless.

What if this was too fast? Or Cricket wasn't into it, or wasn't ready, or somehow he ended up doing this wrong-

Focus!

"I can show you how to use it," It might be a bit awkward, but he could use a sword while seated. Hell, Willie would make an excellent war mount! Loki couldn't help the faint flush tinging his face, gaze skipping from the blade to Cricket again, smile turning somewhat cautious. "It's... well a tradition. Sort of. Gifting a sword to one's intended and all-"

His heart about leapt it's way out of his throat when he realized the words had actually come out of his mouth. No turning back now!

[alittlehinky]

That is true. Willie would make an excellent war mount. There isn't a hostile bone in her body, but she's still knocking things over with her sheer size.

But there is still a mystery here. Cricket's expression is uncertain, too, when he looks up at Loki, but there's far too much softness in it for it to be a rejection. He's wondering, really, whether this is supposed to be some sort of reassurance that Loki still sees him as capable, and not the invalid he feels like more often than not. That would be like him, he thinks, and he's about to ask, but then the penny drops.

It's a pretty huge penny. The look that dawns on Loki's face is telling, but Cricket is, for the moment, too caught up in his own sudden shock to read it.

"Intended?" He repeats in a raspy whisper, and turns slowly pink. "Intended like...like you're thinking we should get married?!" His voice squeaks upward an octave.

The potential complication are insane, and Loki comes with a lot of baggage, and Cricket didn't even know if this was a thing that could happen, but suddenly the possibility has flared to life right in front of his eyes and he's halfway blinded.

He's not sure what to say. Not sure if this is the same kind of engagement gift a ring would be, not sure what happens from here if he--when he says yes, because obviously he's going to. And it occurs to him at once that of all the times in their life together Loki could have brought this up, he chose this one, where Cricket is as weak as he's ever been.

He makes a wordless little choking noise, nods vehemently, and flings himself awkwardly across the minimal space between them, hugging Loki as tightly as he can.

[magpiemythos]

It was telling of how far Loki had come, how secure he felt in he and Cricket that while that initial uncertainty he saw in the other's expression had that unpleasant twist starting in his chest, that he waited. He didn't make some excuse and flee to avoid the possibility of rejection, or try and snipe out first, to get ahead of it.

And he was rewarded by that sudden squeaked out question, the sudden fling that had Cricket smacking into him with arms right around him, startling a laugh from the trickster as they both pitched back into the blankets from the momentum.

"Like I'm thinking exactly that." He managed after a moment, arms slinging around Cricket in turn.

[alittlehinky]

Cricket is tongue-tied for a solid minute, just holding onto Loki. He manages a couple little giggles, and a glance down to make sure the sword isn't pointed directly at any soft tissues, since they've collapsed into the blankets.

When he does, finally, get words to come up, the first ones are: "I love you."

There's a little sniffle then, pure dizzy emotion, and he adds, "You know...if my legs are like this forever...I mean, you don't seem to mind, only it's a hell of a thing to sign up for. I-I mean, even if the curse goes away now, that ain't a guarantee they won't eventually get this messed up on their own."

He knows Loki isn't with him because he expect Cricket to be a marathon runner or anything, but still. "You're really okay with that? Am I s'posed to get a ring next and propose back to you?"

[magpiemythos]

Luckily they've managed not to impale themselves! Which really would have been a terrible omen.

Loki can't help but choke on his own laughter at the first thing Cricket manages to say, face flushing bright, especially as he continued on. With a soft huff, he tilted his head to peer properly at his boyfriend... fiance? Was that what they were now?

Both terrifying and thrilling all at once.

"You're not your legs," Loki pointed out. "You're still you, walking or riding, and it's you I'm ridiculously infatuated with."

A considering smile. "If you wanted to revenge propose I wouldn't argue."

It sounded like it could be mischief, and matched their irreverent sort of humor well enough.

[alittlehinky]

Cricket looks more than a little misty-eyed, but from the way he smiles, he must have recovered from the shock quite quickly. He kisses Loki on the cheek a couple times, then gently moves the sword out from between them, setting it behind him on the blanket.

"Does anyone but me know how sweet you can be?" If it were possible, there would be little cartoon hearts in Cricket's pupils right about now. But that's a rhetorical question.

"Revenge propose," he repeats, and laughs. Oh, that definitely sounds like a challenge, and he's up to it.

"That's really what this is, then," he says more softly. "You really just asked me to marry you. Geezus, Loki. I thought about it a lot, but I wasn't even sure how to bring it up."

He reaches across them to run his fingers through Loki's hair.

[magpiemythos]

"Nope!" Loki replied cheerfully, smile widening. "It's a secret all for you!"

He sobers slightly as Cricket continues, clearly processing the idea, for all his heart does a little skip in his chest at that admission, tilting his head ever so slightly into the feel of the fingers carding through his hair.

"I really did. Gotta be faster on the draw if you want to get the jump on me, Pretty Cricket." He was still reeling a bit that he actually went through with it, but there was no doubting the delight in his tone regardless.

[alittlehinky]

"I guess I...wasn't sure if it was even a thing we could do. I mean, a god marryin' a human sounds like tempting fate somehow. But I already set things up so if somethin' happened to me you'd have whatever I left behind. 'Cause I know you don't need that, but I wanted to be someone who at least tried to take care of you."

His fingers keep moving, slow and gentle, not even trembling now. "I just want to be here for you as long as I can."

Leaning in for a kiss, he's quiet for several moments, sinking into the contact and tenderness, but at length he says, "Gotta ask one question, though, and any answer you give me is a'ight, won't change a thing. But do you ever want us to have kids? Adopted or not, I don't care. Just wanna know what you're thinkin'."

[magpiemythos]

"Let's be real, I tempt fate just by existing." Whatever else Loki was going to say? Was cut off by what Cricket added there. That he'd... set things up. That he wanted to take care of Loki. And the idea of there being an after him that just felt like a punch in the gut. It just made a vague idea he'd been stewing on crystalize into something more urgent, more insistent but for now he wasn't going to say anything. Not until he had it.

Cricket wanted to be there, Loki would do what he could to help, because he wanted that too.

He was just soaking up the sweet attention and returned the kiss willingly as they relaxed, just basking in the general delight of the moment regardless. The question that Cricket came up with was... well it was somewhat expected. It was a conversation that came with this sort of relationship shift right? "I... do like children well enough. I've just... they've never had much good fortune if they were mine."

A faint huff. "The Eddas were unpleasantly accurate there."

[alittlehinky]

"Yeah?" He smiles gently at him. "Sometimes I feel that way too, to be honest with you. Got kind of a rough start. Makes me wonder sometimes if I wasn't expected to make it this far."

"But I did." His smile blossoms into a bright grin. "'Cause here we are. Stubborn as shit, the both of us."

In their own different ways. Ancient mountains and arctic landscapes have a way of rewarding determination, even in those that seem too delicate to thrive there.

Cricket has no inkling what's in Loki's head now, but he'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, he's just relieved that the question he asked hasn't dampened the mood. "Maybe your fortunes are changing?" he suggests. "Nexus has a way of doing that."

"Don't have to decide for good right now. I just wanted t' know if it was possible. 'Cause I sure as hell ain't ready now, but I think some day I might be."

[magpiemythos]

"Here's to stubborn, spiteful little brats who keep on keeping on." Did Cricket miss the considerations? Probably for the best- he meant well and would worry about Loki doing what he'd planned. Better to save telling him until it was time to do it, lessen how long he'd have to worry for.

"You're not wrong there. I ran into you, after all." It was a heartening idea, that whatever else there was, that maybe the fate's perchance for misery in his future was offset by the Nexus and it's oddities. Cricket was certainly proof of that. "We'll put a pin in the kids conversation for now, revisit it later. Because well I'm not totally adverse to the idea, so we'll see what the future holds, hm?"

[alittlehinky]

"I'll drink to that," he agrees. "Later. When we've got somethin' to drink." He pulls Loki closer again, hugging him tight.

"Sounds good t'me. It was just what you did back where I grew up. Get married, have as many kids as you can afford t'help work th' farm. But we don't need to have 'em for that kind of reason, and we can wait and see how things go."

Because even though Cricket suspects his life span won't be as long as he might like, he's pretty sure he's got a good fifty years ahead of him.

"...thank you," he says after a moment. "For bein' the one to make a move. I know that ain't easy."

[magpiemythos]

"I think there's a bottle of mead somewhere in the kitchen." But for now he wasn't about to go hunting for it, just snuggling in on Cricket with a soft, pleased little huff.

"If we wind up with two, they can race Willie and Thori." Loki pointed out, more teasing than anything, earning a muzzy, half-asleep whuff from under the porch from the latter.

If Loki had his way, Cricket would have a lot more than fifty years. But... it would be up to Cricket. It wouldn't be right otherwise... the trickster would just make damn sure the option was available. And argue his side of things should he need to.

"The present earlier this week was me chickening out," Loki admitted in a wry tone, resting his head against Cricket's shoulder. "The soapstone was for you anyways but well..."

[alittlehinky]

"Sounds like a plan. Was gonna just make soup tonight to go with pie, but we could get somethin' nice brought in." One big advantage the Nexus has over rural Virginia: you can get just about anything delivered.

He laughs a little at the thought of children racing on their Pokemon. "Only if Willie'll let Thori have a turn with 'em. She's ten kinds of full of herself since she evolved." In a sweet way, though. She just wants to help carry everything around, now that she can.

Cricket turns onto his back and curls his arms around Loki reassuringly, making himself a pillow. "Aw, baby...I had no idea. I really do like the chicken, though. I thought you was just tryin' to cheer me up, on account of me having trouble getting around lately."

There's a pause as he kisses Loki on the head and then an impish grin lights up his face. "So, I got an engagement sword and and engagement chicken! Bet there ain't been anyone else courted like that before."

[magpiemythos]

"We can set up a fancy picnic in the living room even." It sounded cute to Loki, and he figured it would amuse Cricket so why not?

And Willie was adorable, just chuckling at the mental image of the pokemon stubbornly hoarding any children while Thori sulked and threw a doggo tantrum.

"I mean... it wasn't the actual plan but I am glad it cheered you up regardless..." Loki relaxed where he was, chuckling at that grin from Cricket, scrunching his nose for the kiss. "Engagement chicken, hm? I suppose you're not wrong. Doubt there's many getting courted like you."

[alittlehinky]

Cricket chuckles again, and it's so quiet it almost sounds more like a purr. "Picnic sounds perfect. Everything sounds perfect right about now."

He'll just continue stroking Loki's hair and shoulders, as long as they're snuggling like this. The sun is dropping toward the horizon now, and it won't be long until dusk, at which point they'll probably need to go inside for warmth, but for now everything feels perfect. There's red-gold light on the trees and glinting off the eaves above them.

"I don't know how I got so lucky," he murmurs. "Ain't nothing that unusual about me. I know you're gonna tell me I'm special t'you and that's how it should be, but sometimes all of this just feels like a fairy tale."

[magpiemythos]

Loki lets out a soft hum of agreement, feeling a warm, honey-sweet sort of placid content at the feel of Cricket there with him, the feel of those fingers in his hair. It was mirrored enough in the way the light was shifting to those golden hues as the sun was setting, leaving him quite content to stay where they were for the moment. They could move inside in a bit, but there was only one moment like this, and he wanted to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

"You're a delight," Loki pointed out with a lazy smile. "Normal or no, I find myself quite attached to you. Like trickster catnip or something."

[alittlehinky]

"You're attached to me?" He eyes Loki with mock surprise. "You mean like you might wanna marry me or somethin'? Why, Loki, I'm shocked."

He reaches back with his free arm and pushes himself around, using that leverage to flip them so he's halfway on top of Loki. Of course, the godling doesn't have to be moved if he doesn't let himself be, but he usually acquiesces when Cricket gets playful. "You're the love of my life, Pretty Bird."

...and that gives him an idea how to 'revenge propose'. But it'll take some time to pull it together.

[magpiemythos]

"It's utterly out of the blue, I know," Loki replied, pretending at serious surprise. "Utterly unheard of, how absolutely smitten I am."

And as Cricket guessed, Loki allowed the shift- he usually did, enjoying the back and forth of it, even if they both knew that he could bench his moonshiner boyfriend without any effort if the whim struck him. But it was nice to just let Cricket settle them, especially at that admission that had scarlet flushing up his neck and ears.

"You're a menace, but I do love you for that, Pretty Cricket."

[alittlehinky]

Cricket is just as happy to be manhandled as he is to do the rolling around himself, but at this point in their relationship he is well aware that Loki likes to feel looked-after. He is more than happy to do it, whether it be in the form of cooking pumpkin pies for them both, or pinning him in an embrace.

The I love you, even though it's reached the point of an understanding between them, makes him melt, and earns Loki a pretty fierce kiss on the lips.

...a fierce and lingering kiss, in fact, which is likely to go on for quite a while, because he can't think of anything to say to top that. Hopefully the flutter of his heart and the raw joy he can feel shivering under his skin is enough of a statement.