Estranged Lovers

28. Saying goodbye and hello again

Y/N felt as if she had fallen back into her body when she shot up screaming her lover's name.

Loki.

The memories had come rushing back. A super collision of emotions burst free in her heart. Every word they'd ever spoken, every hand ever held, every kiss ever shared. It all came back to her now.

She instantly knew he had to be in so much pain all this time just waiting for her to remember. Fighting for their future together, while she had been with –

"Loki huh?"

Y/N closed her eyes and hung her head in shame.

"So I'm guessing it worked," Stephen said standing up. Y/N followed suit, turning around to see the devastation in his eyes.

"It did. I saw everything, I remember everything."

Stephen took her face in his hands after taking a step closer and caressed the side of her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his warmth, very aware that those hands had held her over the last months. And Y/N was so happy that it had been him who had found her, helped her and loved her.

"I'm in love with you Y/N. I always have been. I know I should have said something sooner, but I'm saying it now. I love you. This doesn't have to be the end, it can be our beginning."

Y/N looked at him with heavy eyes.
"I'm an Asgardian Goddess Stephen."

"I don't care," he cut her off as he stepped even closer. He nuzzled his nose against hers, tilting his face ready to capture her lips.

"I can't..." Y/N whispered as she took a small step back. She grabbed his hands and guided them down while still holding on to them loosely.

"I'm so grateful and thankful you came into my life. I will love you forever, but not in the way you'd like. And I'm so sorry that I hurt you, that I am hurting you. But my heart belongs to another."

Stephen gave a small knowing broken smile. He knew. He had known from the moment she went out to search for answers that this would be how their story ended. It didn't hurt any less.

"I'm so sorry," Y/N apologized again.

"I don't want you to go," his raspy voice was laced with sadness, tears brimming in his eyes.

Prolonging this goodbye would only hurt both of them more than it already did. Y/N let go of one of his hands and placed it on the side of his face. She raised herself on her toes to give Stephen the smallest gesture of love that she had been giving him for so long now. A kiss on the cheek.

As she pulled back she let her hands slide down his chest, pulling an imaginary speck of dust from his tunic. The tears burned behind her eyes, she had loved him, truly. He had given her so much light in a sea of darkness. And even though there was someone who she loved more, her heart broke. So she didn't look up when she said her final goodbye.

"Until we meet again." Without looking at Stephen Y/N left to search for Wong, leaving Stephen behind. But before turning the corner she dared to look back one more time at that beautiful man, but she wished she hadn't. He stood in the same spot, looking dead ahead. His fists shaking at his sides. He dropped his head and a solitary tear rolled over his cheek.

After turning the corner Y/N went to find Wong, someone had to open the portal for her. She brushed away her tears and ran through the house. She'd already lost so much time with him, she didn't want to waste another second.

She found him in the kitchen. "Wong!" Y/N called as she ran in.
"Y/N, what's wrong?" Wong sprang from his seat.

"Nothing is wrong, everything is finally right."
"You remember."
"I do," she smiled.