justdontgiveame | Labyrinthum Inbox

Puck sat his cup down and spoke after a moment. "You could distract me with your good looks." he joked with a faint smile. "But.. I've not felt that kind of anger or fear in a while. Having it uncovered by a series of questions was.."

Puck picked up another cake and had a small bite. "It was surprising. I'd thought I'd dealt with it."

"Was it because it's been a while, or perhaps because you weren't expecting it to be here. Or to be 'thrown' at you, so to speak, the way it was?" Loki was keeping it to gentle questioning that Puck didn't have to answer. But trying to tease out some of the specifics for his lover, to help analyze and overcome.

"Oh, I've heard plenty of idiocy in my years. I didn't expect it to be here, no. Humans.. Well, beings in general have different ideas of what fae are like. If all someone knows is the sanitized version, or if someone's been raised differently; then I can see why 'pretend they're here' is considered harmless. But from where I am as a member of their actual court, it just caught me off guard. It isn't harmless, and I didn't like the attempts at goading."

A small sip of mead was had. "It's only because Webby is a child that I managed to catch myself before either of those feelings could take over. I doubt it would have gone well if that had happened. I like playing with emotions as much as the next trickster, but there's a limit to it."

So it had been the mix of having it thrown at him along with just not expecting either of those emotional responses to kick in just at the idea of either Oberon or Titania actually being around. Or having to think about them outside of a vague awareness that they were probably still in Avalon going through their marital disputes and other dramas.

"I told her I didn't want to pretend they were there, and she just ignored that in hopes that I'd do what she wanted anyway. Where's the fun in that?" Puck asked with a huff.

Edited (editing for clarity!) 2024-03-25 02:46 (UTC)

"Webby is just that. A child." Loki agreed, understanding the other's grumpiness. Reaching up to stroke his hair and cheek, to soothe and remind the other he was there. "Because she has no idea of the real danger, as a child does. For all that she's been in dangerous situations, some life-threatening, she gets over it quickly. She's yet to see it fail, or have the bad consequences. It's all still, in many ways, a game to her for all that she may take it seriously. She also was not thinking about potential harm to others, only to herself. She's short-sighted in the way children often are, especially if they're unused to truly bad things happening without some hero or great act making it all 'right' again."

"Your feelings are all very valid and true though, and I'm similar. I would not like the attempts either, and old wounds can still hurt when poked or prodded. Especially unknowingly."

Edited 2024-03-25 02:49 (UTC)

Puck sighed. "You're right-- a child's understanding is different. I hope she learns from it, but I won't be there to explain in detail what she did wrong. I'm nobody's parent. Treating life like a game only works for so long, but I've seen older beings do the same."

Puck smiled at the touches and allowed his eyes to slide closed for a moment. "They can. Though recognizing that I could just stop responding was also very nice, honestly. I wish it hadn't reached that point, but here we are."

He reopened his eyes and had some more of his second honey cake.

"Here we are, and that's part of why I'm here." Loki said softly, one more affectionate brush before he pulled away. "You're not her parent, or her guardian, as much as you may care for her. Others will fight the battle too--and from what I saw, Aurora was doing quite a good job. Webby will learn, one way or another. Hopefully in a way that is not too painful, but if so? Well...that is sometimes the only way to learn."

"Still, I can't exactly show up as Owen, though I'd be amused by trying."

"All of that is true.. Even if I'm glad to have you here to help me get through all of the aftermath. Some of the hardest things to learn can come with the most pain." Puck really wasn't a stranger to that idea himself. Loki's last comment got him to laugh and he quickly put the cake down before he could drop it.

"I would be shocked if it happened!" But Puck knew what Loki meant by that and smiled. "I know what you're trying to say. Thank you."

"Well now I have to do this sometime just to see that reaction." Loki said with a smirk and mischief in blue-green eyes. But he nodded to Puck, and reached out to squeeze the other's hand.

"I would help you, against them. YOU are my priority and who I care about."

"I'll try to prepare for it." Puck joked back before he returned the hand squeeze and let his fingers lace with Loki's.

Puck knew that emotions were just a part of life itself, but having someone else to help through the harder ones provided a deep level of comfort. He smiled.

"I hope it doesn't come to that, but we make a good team. I'm sure we could handle both."

Loki's words were touching Puck deeper than even he realized, and his vision blurred for a moment as tears came in. With a bit of a chuckle, he reached up with his free hand and wiped at them.

"Ah."

Loki kept their hands laced, but wrapped his other arm around Puck too if he could. Letting the other hide, or lean if he wanted. There to be strength and support for Puck after all.

"Webby shouldn't have hurt you. I don't think she's realized that she IS hurting us, and not in service to a good cause like she thinks. Perhaps, later, she'll apologize or not." Loki mused softly, then nuzzled Puck's hair and forehead. "But I am proud of you, and you've given me a very good example to follow. In not lashing out but in removing myself before I hurt someone who doesn't deserve it and-or that I might care for."

Puck moved until he was leaning against Loki and sighed. "If she does or doesn't, it doesn't matter." Puck was still upset by all of it but he had meant what he'd said. He wouldn't take the ire he had for Oberon and Titania out on anyone except the two of them.

He smiled at the sudden nuzzling. "Oh, I never mentioned that I'm great at leaving a party, did I? Poor me, forgetting to bring up one of my stronger suits." he answered a bit quietly. "But no.. That's gotten me out of more sticky situations than I can think of right now." In some very decent comedic timing, Puck had some more of his mead.

Loki let him shift, moving with him to accommodate and hold him still. "See whereas I'm the one to make it all dramatic and then just walk out." He teased back softly. "It means when I do leave without attracting notice, no one actually realizes it and its easier to be sneaky."

The mead and cakes were brought for Puck primarily, so he could have as many as he wanted.

Puck laughed. "I can imagine both easily, and both fit you well. As far as being sneaky goes.." Puck rolled his shoulders in a lazy approximation of a shrug. "Of course we are. We're both tricksters. You don't get that title without knowing how to hide things."

Puck switched to Owen's voice suddenly. "Which I've already demonstrated nicely."

Puck wouldn't make himself sick on the cakes or mead, but he was enjoying both. The cup was finished and returned to the table. When he spoke again it was his normal voice. "Speaking of, I think Owen is due to show up again. I don't want him to be a wallflower, but he doesn't need to be the life of the party, either. I'll figure that out some other time."

The empty cup was refilled, and Puck eyed the next cake thoughtfully before simply throwing it into the mead. "Oh, why not? It can't hurt anything."

"Around enough to make himself present, but not showy. An appearance is due, yes." Loki agreed, then chuckled with Puck's actions. Hoping they meant that the fae felt better.

"At most, you might get a stomach-ache. But I'll help you weather that too." Loki murmured, bringing one hand up to stroke Puck's cheek and face affectionately. "You're my partner, and that's what partners do."

"Exactly. When I find the right time for it, he'll make one." Puck was feeling noticeably better and idly watched as the cake soaked up a fair amount of the mead.

"It's worth it, honestly." he responded with a playful grin before he leaned against Loki's hand. "They do, and if you ever decide to have another dozen of these I'll find some ginger and lemon tea ahead of your throwing caution into the wind." Puck assured him. It felt nice to joke around-- familiar, and comforting at the same time.

The cake was gently fished out of the cup and quickly eaten before it could fall apart. Puck inhaled sharply as the sweetness of the combination hit as hard as ice cream eaten too fast in the summer. He winced and closed his eyes for a minute, biting back a laugh, his hubris challenged and beaten.

Loki chuckled softly, and reached out to get Puck some water. Plain water, no additives. Placing that nearby before stroking the other's hair soothingly. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. And I'll be grateful." It certainly seemed the other was feeling less angry and frustrated, and Loki was glad to have helped with that.

"I can try and bring things other than sweet desserts in the future, as well."

Puck took the glass of water and managed not to gulp it down to help the sweetness out of his mouth. He sighed and then laughed a bit. "No, that little experiment was my choice! Bring whatever you'd like to bring." He wasn't quick to have more of the honey cakes or mead for the time being.

"Good, good. I'll start to keep an eye out for those teas, just in case." Puck finished his water and sat the glass back onto the table gently. "Let's see, snacks first and then cuddling I'm sure was next on the list."

"It was, are you ready for that now?" Loki asked with a sly smile. Perfectly content to hold Puck where he was too, but the dinner table wasn't exactly the most comfortable of cuddle-spots.

"Is it that obvious?" Puck replied with a grin. "I could try being more coy." The dinner table, as nice as it was, really wasn't Puck's choice for cuddling. He looked at Loki and gestured towards the main room. "Where should we go?"

"Wherever you'd like, my Robin." Loki murmured, leaning in to kiss the other's cheek. "I am here to help you, and I am in no hurry. Whatever you'd like, in comfort and soothing."

Puck returned the kiss with a grin. "We can lay down on the bed, then. The less chance of shoulder pains for either of us, the better." Puck idly took a mental note to lay down more often when he'd have longer reading sessions, and then swept the idea from his mind and refocused. "No carrying me this time-- even if it's a shame I can't return the favor."

"Then no carrying it shall be." Loki chuckled, not bothered that Puck couldn't return the favor. Loki was honestly used to being the one doing it, and had only had it rarely done in the past to him when in female form. It would be a novelty for someone to do so to him, but it wasn't something he expected.

Moving from his seat, he did offer his hand to Puck.

The more Puck thought about it, the more he started to realize that it could be an option. But for the time being, it would just stay an idea until it was either needed or requested. Or both.

Puck smiled and took Loki's hand as he stood. "Good. Lead the way."

It wasn't as if Loki didn't know where Puck's bedroom in his house was. Each visited the other fairly regularly, for intimate time and not. So Loki did lead the way, and then paused while turning to Puck. "Should I turn down blankets too? I'm not going anywhere until you tell me it's okay to."

"I can manage it." Puck assured him before doing just that. He shrugged off his tunic and boots, putting both of them up instead of letting them land wherever they wanted this time around and then smiled at Loki. "I don't think I want you to stay overnight, but I don't have a time frame in mind for any of this."

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