ꜰᴏʀ ᴀʟʟ ᴛɪᴍᴇ

Chapter 7: Jealousy

If You Love Me: Brenda Lee

     I'm swift to excuse myself and chase after Loki. I find him striding down the hall no longer in his guard uniform.  "Loki!" I called out. He doesn't seem to hear, but if he does, he ignores it. Quickening my pace, I finally catch up and grab onto his shoulder. He forcefully turns around causing my breath to hitch as he stands much closer than I intended. "What's wr-?"

    He grabs my shoulders and pushes me backwards to the side of the hallway. My back hits the wall letting out a breath from the contact.  "Why did that woman choose to die?" Loki asks in front of me, still holding onto my shoulders.

    "What?" I start to ask, startled and confused at his outburst.

    "She stayed there. Why would she stay when she knows it would lead to her death?"

    "She was in love." I answer, confused

    Loki shakes his head. "She hated him."

    "Maybe love is hate." I suggest, barely above a whisper.

    Loki stares at me with this look but I'm unable to pinpoint what it exactly is. With him this close, I notice the small green flakes in his eyes that I haven't been able to see earlier. "Love is..." He starts, recatching my attention, "a dagger." He glances down, deep in thought. "It's a weapon to be whileded far away or up close. You can see yourself in it." He says as if speaking from experience. His eyes make their way back up to hold contact. "It's beautiful, until it makes you bleed." His words hang heavy over the air. Neither one of us dared to speak up. I'm unable to tear my gaze away from his eyes, even if I wanted to. He seems to search mine, darting back and forth between each one, eventually landing on my lips. I hold my breath subconsciously. Either of us could barely lean forward and it would be enough to close the gap.

    "Loki. You're drunk." I breathe.

    "I need a lot more alcohol than that to make me drunk." He whispers, not taking his eyes off.

    A slam of doors breaks the silence causing Loki to immediately pull backwards, putting some distance between us. For a second, my heart grows heavy but I'm unable to wrack my head as to why when a voice interrupts. "There." Looking to the other side of the hall, the guard from earlier is pointing to us. Another guard comes out from behind him, looking like the one in charge.

    "Sir, may I see your tickets?" He asks with a skeptical look.

    "Stay cool." Loki whispers to me, then turns to the man. He pats his pockets as if trying to find them. "I'm afraid I left them at my table." Loki exclaims then grabs onto my elbow, turning us around. "I'll just go grab them and-."

    "That won't be necessary." Loki stops in place, pursing his lips to an unwanted smile. The guards get closer and grab one of Loki's hands, putting them behind his back.

    "Oh wait!" I turn their attention back to me. "Here they are..." I pat my pockets and sift through them as the guard from earlier gets closer. The one holding Loki starts to loosen his grip as his curiosity is turned to see if I really have it. Just as the guard in front of me is close enough, I reach out my clasped hand. He furrows his brows but puts his hand under mine anyways. I open my hand to reveal nothing in it and quickly twist my arm around his, trapping it then raise it earning a groan from the man as I dislocate it.

    The other guards are quick to retaliate but I'm quicker. With the injured man, I shove him back into the others, causing them to all fall. Loki watches with impressed and I turn to the guard holding him. I kick him square in the stomach causing his grip to slip. Loki uses this to his advantage as he elbows the man in the helmet then turns and blasts him back with his magic. I grab onto his wrist and lead him back to the main sitting area. Once entering the sliding door, I turn around and kick the control panel, destroying it. Closing and locking the doors.