❦𝗪𝗲 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝗕𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲❦

❦Chapter 9❦

𒊹︎Your POV𒊹︎

"How long were you and Faline on the streets?"

My breathing caught in my throat when I heard Loki ask his question. I thought about an easy way to tell him, but I came to the fact that there was no sugar coating this.

"Faline's been on the street for four years, maybe more....Her parents left her in an alleyway, at least that's where I found her, that was four years ago, she was six at the time." I frowned as I thought back to when I found her.

"You did the right thing, taking her in. She loves you very much." Loki pulled me into him and I smiled sadly.

"I couldn't let her die there, not when she reminded me so much of myself at her age." I chuckled humorless my as the thought of my childhood came rushing through.

"And what about you? How long have you been out there?" Loki's voice was careful, as if he was walking on thin ice with his words.

"I was out living on the streets before I could read, I know that much. Never knew my parents or any other kinfolk. They didn't have orphanages back when I was small, so that was out of question...... It didn't take me long to figure out that people
Would willingly give up valuable resources to a child." I shrugged as if it was something that happened everyday, and avoided Loki's eyes, although I could feel them staring a hole into me.

"Didn't anyone offer to take you in?" He sounded confused and a little offended if we're being honest.

"I still had the 'stranger danger' mindset, and I could barley talk. Once I could speak, I realized that I could get by enough on my own, and I loved the freedom. I never had any regrets.....that would be a lie if someone asked me today." I trailed off sadly, messing with my nightgown that I don't remember putting on.

"May I ask what one of your regrets are?" He grasped my chin with a hooked finger to force me to meet his sincere eyes. I let out a large sigh before speaking, moving his hand away and looking down into my lap again.

"My biggest regret is taking Faline out into that village with me....that day we saw the hellhound." My lip quivered and I brought my head into my hands, tugging on my (h/c) tresses. "If I would have just left her at the house, she wouldn't have gotten hurt, 2 she wouldn't have had to see that....that...that thing!" I was full on bawling now, and Loki was quick to comfort me.

"But you handled the given situation expertly. You knew there was danger, and you sent the most vulnerable away." He tried to reason with me, and when my tears only became more frequent, he tugged me to straddle his thighs, him taking my face into his large, rough hands. "You though on your feet, most would have frozen up in that sort of situation." My hands came up to rest on his as I sniffled.

I nodded shakily, and removed his hands so that I could wrap my shaking arms around his neck, burying my head just below his chin.

"You're the fiercest woman I know, darling. I would never lie to you." He squeezed my form and sighed into my hair.

"Even fiercer than your mother?" I sniffled as I smiled into his collar bone.

"Well......" He moved his head from side to side as if he was weighing out the options.

My head shot up, and I gave him an accusing and fake look of hurt, slapping his chest playfully.