Enchanted Shadows

Chapter 48 - Healing the Wounds

**POV:** Maya

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The journey back to Asgard was grueling. Loki rested against me, his head tilted toward my shoulder, his eyes closed. Every so often, he would grimace as if in pain, a reminder of the toll the battle had taken on him. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, couldn't stop the worry gnawing at my insides. He was strong, but he wasn't invincible. He had bled for us, for me, and now he needed my care.

When we arrived at our quarters, Loki barely made it to the bed before collapsing. I rushed to his side, my heart pounding with fear. "Loki, you need to let me help you," I urged, trying to keep my voice steady.

He opened his eyes and gazed at me, a mixture of pain and irritation in his expression. "I don't need to be coddled, Maya," he hissed, his voice strained. "I'm not a child."

I flinched at the sharpness of his tone but didn't back down. "You're hurt," I insisted. "You can't just brush this off as if it's nothing."

Loki sighed, closing his eyes again. "Fine," he muttered. "If it will make you stop fussing over me like a worried mother hen, do what you must."

The dismissal stung, but I pushed the feeling aside and focused on tending to his wounds. My hands shook as I peeled away his armor, revealing the bruises and cuts that marred his skin. I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"You're lucky," I whispered, dipping a cloth into water to clean a particularly nasty gash on his side. "This could have been so much worse."

He scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Luck has nothing to do with it, my dear. This is the price we pay for the power we seek."

I frowned, dabbing at the wound gently. "But it shouldn't be this way," I said softly. "We're supposed to be building a future together, not constantly fighting for survival."

Loki's eyes snapped open, a sharp glare fixing on me. "You think this is a fairy tale, Maya?" His voice was cold, cutting. "Did you truly believe that our path would be free of hardship? That we could simply take what we want without consequence?"

"No, I—" I stammered, taken aback by his sudden anger. "I just... I want you to be safe. I don't want to lose you."

He grabbed my wrist, his grip tight enough to make me wince. "You don't understand," he growled, his eyes boring into mine. "Safety is an illusion. The moment you start yearning for safety is the moment you become weak. Is that what you want? To be weak?"

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. "No," I whispered. "I want to be strong. For us."

His grip loosened slightly, his expression softening in a way that felt almost rehearsed. "Then stop questioning my actions," he said, his tone gentler but no less commanding. "Every decision I make is for us, for our future. You need to trust me, Maya."

"I do trust you," I insisted, the tears finally spilling over. "But sometimes I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you, of what we might become if we keep going down this path."

He sighed and released my wrist, turning his head away from me. "Fear is a weakness," he muttered. "One that I cannot afford to indulge."

I bowed my head, shame washing over me. He was right. My fear was a weakness, something that threatened to undermine everything we were building. "I'm sorry," I murmured, my voice barely audible. "I just... I want to be strong for you."

He didn't respond immediately, and for a moment, the silence was deafening. Then he reached out and cupped my cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. "I know you do," he said softly. "But you must learn to control your emotions. They cloud your judgment, make you weak."

I nodded, blinking away the tears. "I'll try," I promised. "I'll be stronger."

"Good," he said, his lips curling into a faint smile. "We don't have the luxury of fragility, my love. Not if we are to shape this world into what it must be."

I resumed tending to his wounds, my heart heavy with the weight of his words. He was right, of course. We were fighting for something greater than ourselves. I had to be strong, had to support him no matter the cost. It was the only way to ensure our future.