Loki Laufeyson - The Experiment {1}

Chapter Twenty Nine - Promises

"I have an idea of something that might make you feel better." Loki spoke up after a couple of seconds of silence. I turned around a little more to look up at him, my eyes ribbed red and my eyelashes damp. "It's somewhere I tend to go when... when life gets a little too much. Come on, let me show you." He held his hand and I didn't even think before I put my hand in his, which I regretted a couple of seconds later when I felt the ground disappear from underneath me and I tumbled through the air. A moment again, my feet hit a solid floor and I clutched Loki's hand tightly to try and remain balanced. He chuckled softly and once the darkness disappeared from my eyes, I untangled my fingers from his.

"A library?" I blinked the darkness away, looking around. It was very different to the one in Stark Tower, this one was very modern. The walls were made completely of white shelves that were filled to capacity with books. Through the middle of the room, there were more bookshelves that only reached just above my waist and were weird curving shapes.

"Stark tends to have a thing for modern touches." Loki's said from next to me, causing me to jump slightly, I had completely forgotten about him being there. I nodded and began to walk over to one of the low bookshelves, crouching down to read the spines of the books.

"It looks like there are chairs to read in upstairs." Loki said and I looked over at him to see him nodding to the next level above all of the books where a couple of very comfy chairs were slightly visible. "You can come up there if you want when you find a book." I nodded and he gave me a smile before disappearing in a flash of green. I looked back down at the books and traced my fingers along their different fabric spines. I completely forgot about actually picking a book to read, I got too lost in the feel of the books. It wasn't often at HYDRA that I got given a book, and when I had been introduced to a whole library of them at Asguard, I instantly fell in love. I took any opportunity now to soak in the feel of books.

I eventually found a black leather book with the red cursive letters 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' written down the spine. I walked up to the next level of the library to see Loki already sitting in one of the chairs, his nose already in a book. As I approached, he looked up and gave me a smile, which I returned softly and sat down in a chair opposite him.

LOKI POV

I couldn't help but keep looking up from my book to check on Emily. She had recovered too quickly from her panic attack, I had a feeling she was stamping down her feelings, which made sense with everything she had gone through. I just wanted her to open up and trust us, but I knew that was going to take time.

"Loki?" Her voice interrupted my thoughts and I startled slightly, quickly looking away so she didn't think I was just staring at her the whole time. I hummed to acknowledge I heard her. "What's this word? B-U-R-N-I-S-H-E-D?"

"Burnished." I looked up from my book, giving her a small smile at her confused expression, her eyebrows pinched. "It means to polish something, normally metal, by rubbing it." She nodded and looked back down at her book, eyes darting over the words. I smiled softly as I watched her before I turned my eyes back down to my own book.

After about twenty minutes of reading in silence, I sensed Emily beginning to become impatient and I looked up from my book to see her setting her book down to the side. She still had that worried look on her face and she was biting her lip nervously.

"You're still thinking about it." I set down my book. "Aren't you."

"I can't help it." She sighed, fiddling with her bracelets. "I... I just don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. I don't want to become a weapon."

"That won't happen." I shook my head. "We won't let them take you."

"HYDRA is strong though." She looked up at me with sad eyes. "They outnumber you by a lot."