The Ancient Sorceress ~Loki x Bucky AU~

Chapter 33

    It had now been almost a year since Loki had left Earth to help out Thor in Asgard. Shadow missed her soulmate dearly. She missed his fresh minty scent, his green eyes and his dark, wavy, raven colored hair. She missed his loving words and his possessive touches.

    The pain and the ache in her chest discomforted her daily, yet she was so used to it as it had become a normal for her. She had hoped he would come back. Thanksgiving and Christmas quickly passed at the tower and still no sign of her prince. Shadow had tried to communicate with Loki telepathically, but it seemed her words didn't reach across realms.

    The team tried to help her, bringing her on missions and training with her to keep her mind off of it...but it never helped. Shadow was numb to the pain. Her nightmares were so vivid, she was reliving every moment she was kept prisoner of Hydra. The team was worried about her nightmares, so they started putting her on medical watch, having Jarvis alert anyone about her sleeping state. If she freaked out at all, Tony had a cuff on her wrist that helped to painlessly subdue her.

    Shadow decided that she would certainly go visit her family. She had gone to see them several times over the last few months, especially over the holidays, but she figured it was time to go stay with them for a while. Shadow needed to get out of the tower. She would find herself spending too much time in Loki's room. She would get furious if anyone tried to disturb her. The team tried to find a way to contact Thor and Loki, but they felt like whatever they were dealing with off world must have been really important for them not to answer.

    Shadow packed up some clothes and left the tower in the middle of the night. She had left the team a note on the kitchen table, letting them know she would be at Hana's townhouse for a while. She promised to check in for training occasionally as long as the team didn't disturb her unless it was an emergency. She just needed time away.

    Shadow walked up the stairs of the brownstone, sighing as she knocked lightly on the door. She didn't know if Hana would be asleep or not, since she snuck out at nearly 3:00 am in the morning. Shadow stood outside in the crisp air, waiting to see if anyone was awake. Just as she was about to pull out her phone, she heard someone undoing the locks and opening the door.

    "Who the hell is at my door at 3....Shadow.....what are you doing here?" Hana was shocked. Her angry friend turned soft as she saw her distraught and struggling friend on the other side of the door. Tears started to brim on Shadows eyes, trying to hide her true feelings.

    "I...can I stay here for a while?"

    Hana glanced around Shadows feet, seeing two big duffle bags on the ground. She bent down and snatched them up quickly, throwing them into the entryway. She turned back and grabbed Shadow's hands and pulled her into the house. Hana led her to the living room and motioned for her to sit in the recliner. She hustled to her linen closet, pulling out bedding she had set aside. Shadow watched as her friend made her a place to sleep on the couch.

    "Now, you go to bed, we can talk about everything in the morning." Hana paused and looked at Shadow carefully. "Do you need sleeping pills for the nightmares? I don't know if you're still having them but it's a thought."

    Shadow hung her head. "I still have them."

    "Let me get you some sleeping pills. We will see if they help in the morning but you need sleep. I'll put them in some tea."

    Hana rushed to the kitchen, taking some leftover hot water she had from her last glass and heated it up. She grabbed her pills from the cabinet and put them in the bottom of the mug. Once the water was hot, she prepared Shadow's favorite tea and took it to her in the living room.