Part One - A New Beginning (Loki x Reader)

Chapter Thirty-Eight - Shaping Futures

     Loki watches as the smile falls off his best friend's face when his father announces the news that has been weighing heavily on him all day. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens in shock as she looks at him. Her eyes fall to the empty plate in front of her and he can see the wheels turning in her head. All the color drains from her face as she stares not hearing Lady Sif or Lady Dagny's voices. Loki's stomach twists as he keeps staring at her.

     She finally stands up and hurries out of the hall. It takes everything in him not to immediately go after her, so he waits as long as he can before he leaves the hall. Nobody notices except the Queen who is watching this all unfold before her. Queen Frigga watches Loki's retreating form with a serene and slightly satisfied look on her face. She turns her attention back to the merriment in front of her. Loki teleports himself right outside of his best friend's shared room and knocks softly.

     "Kyrie, are you in here?" he asks before opening the door.

     He sees that it is empty and quietly closes the door before teleporting himself towards the library. He finally reaches the doors of the library and takes a deep breath before going in. Loki spots the little Valkyrie on the couch nearest the fireplace and he sighs softly in relief at having found her.

     "Kyrie."

     She turns her head and looks at him, a single tear running down her face. The dam breaks and a sob catches in her throat before she gets up and runs to him. She clings to him, holding him with as much strength as she can manage as if to keep him there. Loki hugs her tightly back as he feels his heart hurt seeing her in pain. She wants to remind him that her father is gone. That her first birthday at the castle is coming up and he is her best friend. He should be here with her. She looks up at him without letting him go.

     "Please don't leave me too, Loki."

     Loki looks into her pain-filled eyes as tears keep coming out and his heart squeezes.

     "I cannot stay, Kyrie. My father's word is practically law. You know this. But I am simply going to observe and go where we are needed. I am not going...into battle."

     She puts her forehead against his chest. "You're my best friend and I need you. What if you're gone so long, you don't miss me anymore? Or you don't miss me while you're gone? What if you leave and I lose you? Because you won't want to be my friend anymore and I'm younger than you. What if you make better friends and even if you come back, you leave me?"

     Her breaths become more and more shallow as her words come out faster and faster, the panic inside her rising. Loki says her name which makes her blink in surprise and stops the torrent of scared words coming out of her.

     "Breathe deep then let it go," says Loki trying to calm her down.

     She does and repeats it until she feels a bit calmer again. She looks up at him, fear and pain still in her eyes.

     "Kyrie, I keep my promises. Especially ones I make to you."

     "The promise...in the field?"

     Loki nods. "Do you remember what I promised you?"

     "That when I'm with you, you will protect me. And if you have to go away, you will always come back."

     "And?"

     Her eyes light up softly with a tiny ray of hope. "And be my best friend forever."

     "I meant what I said and I keep my promises, Kyrie. That is not about to change. Please stop crying. If I could stay with you, you know I would. So we could celebrate your birthday together as we did with mine. So I could keep you safe and keep giving you lessons. So we could have fun going on horseback rides and secret waterfall adventures. Anything, everything."