Another Chance

Visits

When they got up from the table a while later (Sigyn's plates empty, his half full), Loki was unpleasantly surprised to discover that Clint was waiting a couple of meters away. Sigyn, as always, smiled at him.

"Clint, what brings you so far from Fury's office?"

The young man shrugged.

"Your friend here." He pointed his chin at him. "Do you mind giving us a few moments, please?"

Sigyn looked from Clint to Loki, who tried to look as relaxed as possible under the scrutiny.

"Okay," she finally said to Clint before looking at Loki. "See you at dinner. Or before, if you need something."

"Of course, thanks," he agreed, giving her a tense smile.

Sigyn hesitated a second longer before walking away. The two of them waited until she was out of earshot and Loki took a step toward Clint.

"If this is about the bet, I think I still have two more weeks," Loki growled, annoyed.

"Your hope that Sigyn will be a good friend is touching," Clint laughed. "But I'm not here for that. You have a visitor."

Loki froze.

"Our parents?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Sif, Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral. And actually, they only asked about Thor, but I thought you'd like to know. Especially since they're out of visiting hours and they only have a little while before Fury is more annoyed than amused by his audacity, as he himself described your friends' shitty behavior."

"They're not my friends," Loki clarified. "But thanks."

Clint blinked a few times before nodding.

"My work is done, then," he said, and paused. "Good luck with the bet."

Loki winced at the mockery. The man really underestimated his ability to push people away.

And speaking of keeping people away... He hurriedly put the tray back in its place and left the cafeteria. He crossed the courtyard with a quick step, fighting with difficulty the urge to run. SHIELD set up some rooms in one of the buildings near the entrance for short-term visitors who didn't get permission to roam the campus. Sure enough Thor and the Four Idiots were there.

He didn't want to see them, not at all. Or, to be more specific, he didn't want them to see him. But he was very curious to know what they would tell him. In his original world Thor had been told about the Odinsleep and his own usurpation of the throne. What would they tell him now, that Odin was still awake and fresh as one of his mother's roses, and that there was neither throne nor usurper?

He still had a way to go when he spotted Thor entering the building. Loki quickened his pace even more and reached the building almost at a run. He entered, making sure the door didn't make a sound, and followed the echo of Thor's footsteps, which disappeared down a corridor to the right. He followed him in absolute silence to the room that had been assigned to they. Loki watched him enter, closing the door behind him, and walked over to the door. Some muffled voices reached him, but he was unable to make out the words.

Searching for the magic within him, he focused on the door. More specifically, the internal mechanism. Spinning it, he managed to open the door. And the voices spilled down the hall.

"... see you. I missed you, my friends!" assured Thor, accompanied by blows that were undoubtedly pats on the back of one of the three young men.

"We to you more!" Volstagg assured. "When are you coming back? We have many things planned for when you are back home."