Hello, Who is this?

23) Tease

The next day went fairly quickly and before long it was time for the video call. Riley decided to wear a pretty long sleeved shirt and shorts she usually slept in. She did some light makeup and pulled her hair into a high ponytail with curls in it for volume. She wanted to look nice but didn't want Bruce to think she was trying to get the wrong type of attention from her. Riley then cringed at the thought and moved onto setting up the laptop. Right at four it started to ring. Answering, she was surprised to see a smiling Nat on Clint's lap before the phone was snagged and Bruce moved into view.

"Sorry Riles, they said that since they missed the playdate yesterday, they wanted to see you today. I am also warning you that the boys may pop in and out. I did ask them not to but we will see how that goes."

Riley and Bruce sat and talked for a couple of hours, Nat and Clint mostly just sitting and watching them. They would occasionally add in tidbits here and there but mostly just watched the smile on Bruce's face. He sounded so carefree and happy. Oddly, so did Riles. They were cuddled up on the bed next to the phone while Bruce's back faced the door. When someone knocked, they thought it was maybe Thor, given how long they had been in the room, so when Steve walked in, they all blinked at him. He didn't notice though because he was looking at how thin and pale Riley looked, even with makeup on. She wasn't any less beautiful but she didn't look like the Riley he had been enjoying getting to know.

"I, uh, the food. D-dinn-er is um ready. Yeah. Dinner is ready." He almost ran out of the room, terrified of what he might say to her.

That was his mate and he didn't like her looking so, fragile. He sighed and went back to the kitchen where Loki was cooking with Tony. Bucky was watching and attempting to learn. All three looked at him with concern. Bucky and Tony could feel the distress he was in while Loki was reading his thoughts. Loki gasped when he saw the image in Steve's head.

"No. Not happening. I will be back. She is not going to waste away while I still have breath."

Loki was gone before anyone could talk him out of it. "Does he even know where he is going?"

"Should one of us go after him?"

Steve was still quiet, his mind not letting the gorgeous image of his unwell mate laughing with Bruce. He was ready to punch him for making her happier than her own mates but then he remembered Clint's warning. He only hoped that Loki didn't make it worse.

Riley had just hung up with Bruce, Clint, and Nat and gone to the closet to change out of her top suddenly a very distraught Loki was in her room with his arms full of various foods. He dropped everything when he saw her in nothing but a bra and short sleep shorts. His mouth went dry and he had to actually pull his attention away from her form. She had some scars on her stomach and chest that he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss each one. Apologize to his queen that he had not been there to protect her while commending her for being such a fierce fighter. She had to be to be as strong as she was in his eyes. He ran back to the food though and turned away from her, reminding himself that soulmate or not, he was a prince and should be respectful.

"I, uh, I brought you food. I may have seen what you looked like from Steve's mind. I don't want to see you unwell darling. When was the last time you even ate?"

Riley knew better than to lie to the god of mischief but she knew she couldn't tell him the full truth either. Instead she said, "Breakfast."

"When darling?"

Riley sighed and mumbled a single word that had him pulling her to his chest. "Yesterday."

What Riley hadn't noticed was that when he pulled her close, her back faced the full length mirror in her closet. Loki's eyes followed every scar. He knew he couldn't touch her back but seeing the reasons why, splayed across her back and pale from being pulled tightly across her back. He was livid. He knew he would kill anyone who would dare come near her again. How many times had they almost lost her and not realized it before they met her? He thought back to how broken and grief-stricken the smallest soul group was. How much they claimed to be alright while never feeling whole. How close had his own soul group come to that. He kissed her forehead and asked if it was okay to lay her on her back and study the scars on her stomach. He needed to ease some of the pain that was building inside him. Riley said he could touch her stomach and study the scars there however he needed but to please not go near her back. He agreed and stepped away from her.