Unforgotten

Chapter 8

Christmas Day dawned bright and sunny, with a fresh layer of snow on the ground.  I had come to stay with Aunt Pepper and Uncle Tony at Stark Tower earlier in the week, about a day after Loki and Thor had left for Asgard.   I thought of the people that would celebrate with us later that morning as I sat, looking out the balcony windows at the soft snow.  Natasha and Bruce had stayed, but Steve and Bucky had gone to Wakanda for some time away.  Clint and his family were at their farm, Wanda and Vision were who knows where, so that left the Falcon to show up later for Christmas dinner.

The day was fun, and long, and full of good food.  We laughed a lot, and opened several gifts that proved how much we spoiled each other.  Natasha and I ended up giving each other the same cashmere sweater, only different colors, which we laughed hysterically at.  My Aunt Pepper and Uncle Tony had ordered me some perfume from my favorite store in Paris, and I knew I would treasure all of it.  I bestowed on everyone framed photos I had taken specifically for each person, and they were moved to tears, each appreciating the time and patience I had taken in choosing the subjects.

After Christmas, time had drug on, though, with no word from any realm other than our own.  I continued to stay at Stark Tower, simplify because I did not relish the idea of being alone at my apartment.  Tony, to our relief, did not throw his usual New Year's Eve bash, but rather kept it a small family affair, where we drank champagne and watched the ball drop from the safety of the balcony.

Two days into the New Year, I rose before anyone else in the Tower, and entered the quiet kitchen to make myself a cup of hot tea and honey.  Loki was always at the back of my mind, and this morning was no different.  Why hadn't I heard from him?  Surely he was alright, or Thor would have come and spoken to me himself.  I shook my head, trying to keep the thoughts at bay.  Instead, I busied myself at looking at the photos my Aunt Pepper kept in the 'family' picture frame on one side of the kitchen.  They were all candid shots, many with myself in them, featuring Tony, Natasha, Steve, Bruce, Clint and his family.  My breath caught when I saw she had added a new one - Loki, in his true form, raven hair down to his shoulders, his arms wrapped around me, during a picnic we had joined late last summer.  I was grinning for the camera, his mischievous smile was barely there, but I could find it.  Me and my boyfriend.  The last words actually shocked me a little.

I turned away and started walking around the kitchen absent-mindedly.  My boyfriend.  I was in love with a God.  A God who was on his home planet of Asgard for who knew how long.  Who could teleport.  And use magic.  A God who quite possibly had ruined thousands of lives, had murdered people, and had altered time.  I wasn't even sure of his story!  Did it really matter, though?  I shook my head and rinsed out my mug in the sink. 

"Good morning, hon," Aunt Pepper said quietly, and I smiled and moved to hug her. 

"Good morning." I smiled, and she looked at me sadly. 

"Why do you look like you have the weight of the world on your mind, Paige?" I smiled again. 

"Just thinking about my insane life," I laughed.  She chuckled.

"I do that every day," She agreed.  "We have some extraordinary people in our lives.  And we have a lot more to think about in our lives than some," She said.  I nodded, turning back to the photo frame.

"I'm in love with him, Aunt Pepper." I finally said, and she looked at me thoughtfully.

"I know." She said, stepping up next to me.  "I could see that the night of your birthday."  I glanced at her, but I knew better than to argue.  She was right - he'd had my heart all the way back then.  "Does he feel the same way for you?" She asked quietly.  I nodded, still in thought.