The Ancient Sorceress ~Loki x Bucky AU~

Chapter 56

    Bucky and Loki sat in chairs at the sides of Shadows' bed. Both kept their eyes glued on the sleeping girl resting in her bed. Bucky had cleaned up the blood that had dripped out of her nose and ears and placed her into the soft sheets. He tried to situate the pillows as best as he could so she would be comfortable. Loki had been sitting still across from him for a while now. He wasn't sure why he felt like he should invite him to follow, but it seemed like that was something Shadow would've wanted.

    The setting sun cast an amber glow across her body. The slow rise and fall over her chest was like a calming wave that pushed and pulled over the mens bodies. Her long white hair was in a messy braid. Bucky had thrown a shirt over her body after the top she had worn for training was burnt through. In his rush, he saw glimpses of scars that graced her delicate skin.

He knew it was best that he not worry about it right now, but he knew it would eat at him if he didn't ask her about it later. As she lay on her back, both men grasped her hands. The gentle feeling of the sparks helped calm their worries. Loki knew she would be okay. He understood magic and how it worked. He was still impressed that she was able to do certain things that he couldn't. He wondered who had initially taught her magic.

"Can I ask...Why did you invite me to come with you?" Loki asked quietly. His swirling green and blue eyes met the stormy blue eyes of Bucky's.

"It felt like it would be something she would want." Bucky stated, shrugging his shoulders.

Loki cast a glance back at Shadow. He could see the dark circles under her eyes, her sunken cheek bones, and the way her body wasn't as healthy as it was the last time he saw her. The more he looked over her, the more his guilt and regret washed over him. His eyes caught his mark that adorned her forearm. He turned her arm over and started rubbing his fingers across the details. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes looked sad.

"What happened..." Loki whispered. He was more so talking to himself, yet Bucky could hear him clearly.

All Loki could continue to think about was when he faked his death, he could feel the pain and the sorrow that dripped from her very being. It was pulsing around the planet like dust or pollen floating through the air. He could hear her cries. He could feel her tears. He even heard that she said that she loved him.

She loved me...

He hadn't ever felt the way that he did when he heard those words. Sure, his mother loved him unconditionally, but this feeling was like he was soaring along the fluffy clouds on a bright, cloudy day. He wanted to tell her why he went away and faked his death, but he knew it was better if she didn't know. Now...he didn't really care because he wasn't going to spend another minute away from her if he could help it.

Bucky watched carefully as Loki played with the mark on Shadow's arm. The way it glittered and the small hum that came from Shadow's lips told him enough. Being an assassin gave him skills that others never could dream of having. His observational skills and instinct skills were of top caliber. It didn't take him long to see that Loki was more than likely Shadow's other mate.

It made sense. The way she reacted similarly to Lokis' presence like she did with his own. She liked to touch him, even though it was little touches here and there. They always made eye contact. She may not have remembered who he was before, but Bucky wanted to make sure she knew now. He could only image the pain Loki was going through.

As the silence continued to blanket around the three bodies in the room, there was a slight shift. Shadow began to stir. The men both sat closer, waiting for her to wake up. She began to twitch and scrunch her face. Her body moved to stretch out, pulling her hands out of the two men's grasps. She drew out a long yawn, her eyes beginning to flutter open.