An Avenger's Tale

10|| Thor's Hammer

I hurried down the steps towards the dining room for dinner. Peter had decided to join us tonight and Loki's empty seat was filled by Sam Wilson, otherwise known as the Falcon. My eyes involuntarily moved towards the stairs, wondering what Loki was doing in his room. He was probably bored to death.

Perhaps I should go see how he's doing.

"Will you guys excuse me for a minute?" I asked politely as I pushed myself up from my chair.

"Where are you going?" My father looked up at me as I passed his chair towards the staircase.

"I just forgot something in my room. I won't be long." I squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before running up the flight of stairs.

I walked down the hall towards Loki's room and knocked on his door.  No response. I knocked again and the silence stretched on. I scanned my palm print into the pad and the doors slid open with a 'swoosh'. I stepped into his room, it was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing.

"Loki?" I whispered, trying to manoveur around the darkness without tripping and breaking something. "JARVIS, turn on the lights."

The bed lamps simultaneously flickered on and I found a tousled and dishelleved Loki sitting in the corner of his room, enveloped in a mess of broken glass, scattered pillows, a broken chair and torn pages from a book. I knelt down in front of him, levelling myself to look him in the eye.

"Loki, what happened?"

He turned his gaze on me, his emerald orbs drained of colour and void of emotion, pillared by dark circles. His hair was messy and he just lacked his mischievous, sarcastic charisma. He wasn't the Loki I've come to care for, the Loki I enjoyed spending so much of my time with.

"Loki?" I pushed, eager to know the reason behind this sudden change of heart.

"Three years ago on this day, my mother died. She was killed by Dark Elves, fighting for Asgard and defending my father, my brother and the Midgardian, Jane Foster."

I could hear how his voice cracked with emotion at every word. A pigment of pain flashed across his irises as he turned to face me, a dejected look etched upon his face.

"I do not like to admit it but she was the only person who truly believed in me, who truly loved me. When I was in prison back at Asgard, she was the only one to visit me every day. Neither Odin nor my brother would have cared if I rotted in that cell."

I averted my gaze for a moment, choking back tears. The story was mind-numbing and I had to keep the tears, that threatened to break through my barrier, at bay. My eyes met Loki's as I laid a hand of comfort on his arm.

"Loki, I am so sorry."

"That was what everyone said too." Loki laughed darkly. "The apologies meant nothing. If my brother had not brought that Midgardian to Asgard, Frigga would not have died."

"Loki, I truly am sorry."

Without rationalizing my decision, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. I figured he needed one desperately. I buried my nose in his shoulder, as I comforted him. He stiffened under my touch for a brief moment, but he thawed out and cautiously placed his hands on the small of my back.

It wasn't quite the hug I was expecting but it sufficed for the time being. After a few minutes, I felt him lower his head against my shoulder and he sobbed softly into my shirt. I soothed back his dark hair, allowing him to let everything out until he was raw of crying.

"Come down for dinner?"

We pulled away from each other and I met his stare, a tinge of that malicious green colouring his eyes again. His lips split into a genuine smile and my stomach churned with butterflies at the very sight.