𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 (𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

Chapter 30 - Drinks!

"Brother? Y/N?" Thor's voice rings out from somewhere to your left. You refuse to meet Loki's gaze as Thor's loud footsteps rumble closer, the air still thick with the weight of your forced expression. "Ah, there you are! The feast is winding down, and Warriors Three and I wanted to challenge you to a friendly drinking competition, Y/N!" Thor announces as he rounds the corner towards the secluded bench.

You half-expect Loki to speak up, to tell Thor that you've had quite a long enough day already, or that your body is less-than suited to properly handle Asgardian liquor, but he remains silent as you both awkwardly stand to greet Thor.

A part of you wants to refuse Thor's offer and escape to the solitude of your guest chambers to reflect on whatever the fuck that was between you and Loki, but the trickster God's indifference to your decision sways your mind.

You spare one last side glance towards Loki, who still hasn't said a word since your weighted expression, to see that he's obviously avoiding your gaze.

"Sure, Thor. Sounds like fun," you say, taking a large step towards the blonde god and, subsequently, away from the nasty flowers behind you that are threatening to make their presence known again at any moment.

"Fantastic!" Thor responds, a puppy-like excitement to him at your acceptance of the offer. "Brother, will you be joining us?"

Once again, you glance towards Loki, whose face is now half-shrouded by darkness after stepping away from the alcove.

"A tempting offer indeed, but I shall pass. I still have much I would like to do tonight before I retire to my chambers for the night," Loki recites, and you can't help but feel much disdain at his dry and vague answer.

Although often times he can be quite dense, to your luck, Thor also seems to notice the offset in Loki's behavior.

"Are you sure, Brother? It has been quite some time since we spent time with our friends together."

"Your  friends," Loki corrects with an underlying harsh tone, and you gently place your hand on Thor's shoulder to comfort him.

"Thor, if Loki wishes to be left alone, we should respect that. I'm sure he has a valid reason for missing this, whether he discloses it to us or not," you say, trying to appear calmer than you actually are.

Truthfully, you're freaking out on the inside. Had you really just told Loki that you loved him? Sure, it was true, the goddamn flowers made sure of that; but that didn't make it any less of shocking and abrupt confession. Although it wasn't intentional, by telling him that, you put Loki in quite a compromising position himself.

"Very well," Thor's voice snaps you out of your thoughts. "Y/N, shall we go?" He asks in a mock-royal manner, offering his arm for you to hold.

"We shall!" You joke back, grabbing onto his arm and trying to squelch the uncertain thoughts brewing in your mind as he led you away from Loki.

As you pass by the brooding god, you allow yourself one last glance in his direction, just to lock eyes with him for a harrowing moment before you both look away just as quickly.

However, instead of the normal butterflies that you feel in your stomach whenever Loki's eyes are on you, all you feel is dread.

---

"To Y/N!" Sif shouts loudly about 20 minutes later, inside a local pub that Thor had insisted was the best. "May her visit to our realm be filled with much enjoyment, excitement, and many new conquests!"

"To Y/N!" Thor and the Warriors Three repeat before downing their mugs of ale in a single gulp.

You just smile sheepishly behind your own dauntingly tall mug of Asgardian liquor, nursing your drink much more carefully than your companions in an attempt to not get too plastered too quickly.