Hard To Love Again..

19. Feelings

Very soon, everyone in the facility was curious about Charlene, a woman who seems to be a very close friend to Loki. He was known to be very distant and cold, and it was hard to believe for anyone that he had a close friend, a human friend.
Loki was still unconscious, still he layed there in his Jotun form. It has been a few days. Charlene didn't interacted much with others except Wanda, who took care of her.
Charlene came down for a few times in the canteen, to eat alone. She could feel people staring at her time and again. Maybe they did stare or maybe she imagined it.
She always looked down on the table or in her plate. She heard other people conversing with their friends, laughing, complaining, discussing, having a good time. She made it a point to atleast listen when she is around people, if not look at them.
She was trying to be brave to overcome her anxiety, she wanted to help Loki, when he gains consciousness, she need to be there for him.
She heard Thor chatting with his friends, he was loud and sounded very calm and happy, this hurt Char a little, even though she knew that those thoughts were irrational. She couldn't know, based on someone's tone of voice, how they must be feeling.
Thor did visit Loki a few times when Charlene was around.
He looked normal and relaxed. Maybe he was too strong, but Charlene did catch him silently looking at Loki in a worried way before he left.
He even tried talking to her, but all she could do was nod her head and give one word answer. He was curious about her, and wanted to know more about their relationship.
_________

Thor entered the room where Loki was kept, he saw Charlene sitting on a chair, resting herself near his legs. She seemed to be asleep. A small smile formed on his face. He didn't know Loki could have a close friend, a mortal, a human.
He still found it hard to believe. Knowing how infamous he was on earth and among humans.
He closed the door behind him, and it startled Charlene. She woke up in a start, and looked towards Thor, then on the unconscious form of Loki. Her startled expression turned sad, as she noticed his blue skin forming some dark patches along his neck. She didn't know what it was, but it looked bad.
"Sorry", Thor murmured softly.
Char didn't react, but kept looking at Loki, with pain and hope.
Thor took a chair, and sat next to her at a little distance. He gazed at Loki, observing him. His skin was almost dark shade of blue, he did not look fine, and he was barely breathing. His eyes were shut, as though it had never opened.
Thor sighed while looking at his brother.
He was so different when he wasn't around people.
"I was happy when I heard he tried to save our team members."
Thor broke the silence, as he remembered that day when Loki got injured.
"Its difficult now... so many times I have seen him go, it feels like a joke, you know", he chuckled as he turned towards Charlene. She looked at him thoughtfully and looked back at Loki.
"You can never fully trust a trickster", he smiled at Loki.
Charlene smiled sadly at his words.
"People always had something bad to say about him. I thought it never affected him, but it did.", he continued.
"I thought he was better than that." He said after a pause.
Charlene turned to look at Thor, contemplating at his words. Internally she didn't agree with him, but she stayed silent.
Thor then looked at her, "You must be thinking what kind of a brother I am, to say such words."
Still Charlene didn't say anything. She continued gazing at Loki.
"I didn't want him to risk his own life that way to save others" Thor tried to explain.
"Why didn't he think about himself?"
"..About me...", he added.
Charlene tore her gaze away from Loki to look at Thor.
"People still talk about him in a negative way, in everything he does. And it affects me too."
He smiled wryly and continued, "He wouldn't agree if he was listening to my words right now, but yes, it affects me. He is my brother after all. And I..."
"And I love him", he said with a sigh.

"Then why don't you show it to him a little more.", She responded almost involuntarily, as though she couldn't stop the words from coming out.

Thor gave a sad smile, as he looked towards Loki.
"Its not like I never told him that.", he said blankly, not taking any offence at her words at all.