Who am I? (A Sequel to 'Who are You?' A Loki love story)

Chapter Five - Doctor's Orders

I don't understand. The scars aren't going away. They're still there, bright against my skin, though its been almost a half hour since I was woken up. They aren't the blaring red anymore, but they still stand pink against my pale skin. And I'm so scared.
I'm scared because of what Hel just told me. Something stronger than Fuller is after me now, along with Fuller's followers. Her recent warning echoed in my ears, her rushed shouts as I was being pulled into my memories of torture. And I'm selfish.
I'm so, so very selfish. Because all I want to do is stay here. I want to stay with these people, who have become my family, I want to stay here and love Loki, I want to stay, despite the horrid danger I'm putting them in. Is it so much to ask for peace? For the terrors in my life to be over so I can live it properly?
"Sophie, love." I look up at Loki. I've been curled up in his lap since we've gotten down here. Bruce, Tony, Loki., and I have been sitting in my room since I've woken up. "Do you think you can talk now?" We've been sitting in silence. Bruce and Tony look up from the tablet they were pouring over at Loki's voice.
"Sorry...." I whisper in a hoarse voice. "I'm just..." selfish. "worried." I say. "I don't understand why they aren't going away." They all understand that I'm talking about my scars. "It's easier to forget when they're not there." And it is. If I can't see them, it helps me forget, to bury them in the back of my mind.
"They'll go away." Bruce says. "It may take longer. Your body has been through a lot. It's still healing from being poisoned, so it may just be a delayed reaction." I nod and give Bruce a soft smile.
"Thanks. I know you're trying."
"Ah. There she is. I knew Sophie was in there somewhere!" Tony exclaims when he sees me smile. I roll my eyes, but laugh a little too. I feel Loki relax a little when I laugh. I didn't realize how tense he had been. I reach up and peck him once on the cheek before placing my head back on his chest.
"It was just the normal nightmare. The usual." I say. "Just so much more vivid. Recent." I say. I look up at Tony. "SHIELD still has Fuller in a cell, right?" I ask.
"Yep." Tony says. "Nat and Legolas have tried breaking in about ten times each. They aren't allowed to interrogate him." I laugh a little more.
"Of course they did." I notice that the tension in the room, how cautious they are acting around me. Their moods are lifting as I open up again. "So how long until I'm off the doctor observing and.... stuff." I ask, not knowing how to word it. I get a confused look. "How long until i'm normal again. You know, able to walk and stuff?"
"We... don't actually know..." Bruce says awkwardly.
"Wait.. what?!" I exclaim, sitting up straighter.
"What were you expecting?" Tony asks. "There isn't exactly a person with that's gone through this before. No one is out there with an expertise on people being poisoned and then coming back from the dead." I feel a rumble go through Loki's chest, and I glare up at him, only succeeding in making him laugh harder. Next thing I know, Tony and Bruce are laughing too.
"All of you are mean." I say with a huff, but I smile too. The last few days had just been a rollercoaster of different emotions, and I was tired of people walking on eggshells around me already. "So what does that mean for me?"
"I know Fury wants to debrief you as soon as possible." Bruce starts. "But Physically, you aren't going to be ready to go anywhere for a while. Too much strain. You are on bedrest." I groan.
"But bedrest is so..... boring." I grumble.
"And, you need it." Bruce says, daring me to argue. "Honestly, I don't really want you up and moving for a day or two. Speaking of that," He says, looking over at Tony. "You need rest." I raise my eyebrow.
"You really want me going back to sleep?" I ask, surprised.
"You don't have to sleep, just lay down for a while. You really need to be healthy. That is your focus right now, got it?" He says, and I roll my eyes and nod.
"Got it Doc. I swear, you must be my mother." I say, making Tony and Loki laugh. Bruce just rolls his eyes.
"Alright. Fine. We'll leave you." He said, getting up. Tony follows, and Loki starts to take me off of his lap.
"'Loki, actually, can I talk to you?" I ask, looking up at him. He looks curious, but nods. As Tony and Bruce leave the room, I hear Tony shout,
"Remember, No physical activity!"
"Tony!" I yell, blushing. He cackles, and slams the door shut behind him. Loki chuckles, and I look up at him curiously. "Whats got you in such a good mood? I don't think I've ever seen you laugh so much." I say with a smile.
"I've got you back. Isn't that reason enough?" He says, and I blush again. I turn, burying my face in his t-shirt. One of his arms unraps from around me, and lifts my head so that I'm looking at him. "Don't ever hide." He says. "Your blushing is actually quite... adorable." Of course, now I just blush harder, making him smile.
"Thank you, by the way." I say, looking at him.
"For what?" He asks, looking confused.
"For getting me out of there." He knows I'm talking about Fuller. "I felt so helpless, and I just... I didn't know if anyone would come for me. I didn't want you all to risk it." His eyebrows furrow together.
"What do you mean you didn't want us to risk it?" He asks, his green eyes looking worriedly into my orange ones.
"I didn't want you all to end up like me. Lab rats." I say, spiting out the last two words. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if they had caught you. You have no idea..."
"I was coming for you, no matter what." He says, his voice hard, but eyes soft. "I was not going to let you stay with those people. I would gladly have taken your place there." He says. "If it meant keeping you safe, I would have done it. You mean the world to me, do you realize that? You are the reason that I am not the horrible man you first met. You are my life." A tear escapes my eye, and I kiss him. Hard.
He doesn't miss a beat, his fingers going through my short hair, and mine getting tangled in his. A sudden giggle escapes me while my lips are on his, and he draws back slightly. He raises an eyebrow, and another laugh comes out.
"What is it?" He asks, almost laughing at me.
"Your hair." I say, and a hand goes up to the now slightly messy raven hair. "It's longer than mine now." I say, trying to stifle my laughs. His green eyes sparkle, and he leans forward and kisses me again. For the first time in a month, I forget about everything but him. His touch, his smell, his absolutely perfect lips.
His hands trail a cool touch down my back, making me shiver. I pull him closer, and he trails a kiss across my cheek, before I whisper in his ear. "No physical activity." He groans, and I laugh as he buries his head in the crook of my neck. "Hey, doctors orders." I say, and he mumbles something against my neck. "Mm?" I ask, getting lost in his touch, his hands drawing lazy circles on my back.
"Don't remind me." He growls into my ear. His cold breath tickles my ear, and I pull back, smirking at him as I slide off his lap, curling up against his side. "You are a minx." He mutters, and I laugh. "Did you actually want to talk to me?" He asks, peering down at me. "Or was that all you wanted to do?" I look up at him with an innocent face.
"You mean that wasn't talking for us?" He raises an eyebrow at me, and I change the subject, kissing his cheek. "So what should we do while I'm under room arrest?" He thinks about it.
"We could watch one of those...." He thinks about it, trying to get the word. "Movies?" I smile at him and nod.
"Jarvis? Doctor Who please." I say, and he starts the TV across from my bed. We watch the show, me explaining a billion things to Loki as it goes on. Pretty soon, I feel myself drifting off.
"Go to sleep. You're exhausted." Loki says, pressing his cool lips to my forehead. He starts to slide out of the bed, but I grab his sleeve weakly.
"Stay?" I ask, yawning. "I'm... scared..." I say sleepily. "I don't want to be alone...." He covers me with a blanket, then slides in next to me. I curl up against his chest.
Not once does a nightmare touch me that night.