Unbreakable Bonds

Welcome Home

I giggle as I pull Loki towards the exit knowing Thor will be annoyed with me leaving him hanging like that. Oh well, serves him right for stealing the third horse. "That was fun! Did you see the look on her face? I'll show that bitch whose boss!" I exclaim excitedly. As the door closes behind us, Loki swings me around and pins me to the wall. He has my hands pinned above my head in one hand and the other wrapped around my throat so I'm unable to look away. "Why?" He asks in a gruff voice, staring deeply into my eyes searching for answers. I'm stunned by our close proximity and by the pleasant current that comes from his rough touch... it feels as if it's hot-wired to my core. "W-what? What d-do you mean why?" I ask stumbling over my words, trying hard to concentrate on his question. "Why did you do it? Why fight Sif on the conditions that you set?" His voice deepens as he gets closer, the seconds tick by and I can't gather my thoughts to answer him... not with him pressed up against my body as he is now. Loki quickly takes a step back to my disappointment, dropping my arms in the process as the door to the training room slams open. I turn from the others, my mouth is dry and I'm sure my face is scarlet. I take in and unsteady breath. What is this man doing to me? They pay us no mind and walk in the opposite direction as if we weren't there. Loki clears his throat and asks again, this time giving me space to think. "So why did you do it?" I think before answering, why did I? "Well I've become quite fond of you and I don't like the way Sif and the others speak to you, they treat you as if you're not their equal when I know you're much more..." I hadn't seen them interact much since my arrival but I could tell they loathed him, especially Sif. "...and someone needed to put her in her place. She obviously places herself on a pedestal that she doesn't deserve, not if she's treating others as trash!" I end my little rant, happy to get everything off my chest.

"You're fond of me?" Loki asks softly, smiling to himself. Of course out of everything I said he picked up on that. I blush harshly "Well yeah. What do you expect when we spend so much time together?" He stared at me incredulously, nodding his head once lost deep in thought as he starts down the hall. I sigh and follow him not wanting to get lost in the vast maze that was Asgard.

***
It's late afternoon and I'm seated in an extravagant outdoor area having lunch with Frigga. I haven't been concentrating on what she has been saying, Ive been distracted by the thought of Loki. We hadn't spoken about our little interaction after the fight, he took me back to my room and I haven't seen him since. "Raven dear? Did you hear me?" She asks gently. "Sorry Frigga..." she had insisted that I call her by her name "I've just had a lot on my mind today" I say sheepishly. "It must be a lot to take in coming back here after all these years. I remember the days that your mother would bring you to the palace to play with my boys whilst our husbands were out fighting wars that weren't theirs to fight." She had my full attention now, sorrow crossed her features. "The day your father died was a sad day, your mother never stopped mourning for him. She still brought you around often as you had grown quite fond my little mischief Loki" she said lost in the memories. "A year after his death was the day that we found your mother. We searched high and low for you as you were no where in sight. I vowed that if you were to be found you would come and live with us, under our protection. Sadly it was not to be." She continued to tell me tales of my mother and father, Thor having explained to her and Odin that my memories of Asgard were scarce. I sat there with tears in my eyes, wishing that I could remember.

Once we had eaten, Frigga stood and took my arm, guiding me towards the astonishing gardens. "I believe my little mischief has grown to be more than fond of you Raven" she notes with a knowing smile. I look at her quizzically, "I feel you're mistaken Frigga, we are friends and no more." She stops in her tracks and turns to face me. "You may not see it yet my dear, but the way that he looks at you is compared to no other. He's speaks highly of you and has unmistakable pride in his voice when he does so. He's happy when you are around, his eyes light up when you enter the room and they do not stray. If it were up to me, I'd say he is in love" she says whilst patting my arm before turning to walk back inside, leaving me to stand in stunned silence. Love? Loki love me? Never. He didn't give me any indication that he likes me in the slightest when I told him I was fond of him. He would probably call us acquaintances before he even labeled us as friends. I shake the thought off. It's better that he sees me as an acquaintance, that was neither of us could get hurt. Maybe I should distance myself from him before I get hurt?