The Before [Prequel- Part 2]

Halloween

~~~Loki's pov~~~

Recovery, I had decided, was an exercise in patience designed specifically to mock me.

The past few weeks had been a blur of sterile rooms, Midgardian medicine, and an alarming number of people insisting I remained still—as if that has ever been something I did well. The bullet that tore through my lung was removed, the damage repaired through a combination of their science and my magic, but neither worked quickly enough to satisfy me.

Every breath no longer burned, which they assured me was progress. I remained unconvinced.

Stillness was the true punishment.

Not the pain.

The waiting.

The knowledge that life continued just beyond these walls while I was confined to bed, reduced to observation instead of action.

And worst of all—

Linda was growing.

Four months old now. Black hair, soft as silk. Green eyes that seemed far too aware for someone so small. She was learning the world at a pace that felt almost cruel, because I was missing pieces of it.

I had seen her, of course.

But not enough.

Never enough.

A father should not measure time with his child in stolen moments.

The door opened.

"How are you feeling?"

Catherine.

I allowed myself a small smile.

"As good as one can be after getting shot in one's lung," I replied. "I'm fine."

She didn't believe me.

Not even slightly.

"You sure? Is the room too hot? Too cold? Do you need more blankets—here—" she was already moving, adjusting things that required no adjusting. "Let me fluff your pillow—"

I couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped me.

"My love," I said, catching her hand gently, "is there a reason you're smothering me? Or are you simply overwhelmed with maternal energy?"

"Ha ha," she muttered, though she continued fussing. "You're in recovery. I'm just trying to make it easier. You got hurt because I distracted you. The least I can do is make the healing process less strenuous."

There it is.

Guilt.

I shook my head immediately.

"No."

I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"Let us be very clear," I said, voice steady. "I got shot because I let my guard down. He mentioned you and Linda, and I faltered. That is my failure. Not yours."

She hesitated.

I held her gaze until she believed me.

Then, because that wasn't working, I switched tactics.

"If you truly wish to aid my recovery... tell me how Linda is doing."

The shift was immediate.

"She's fantastic," Catherine said, smiling. "Though she's probably spent more time with Mom and Nat than with us."

She sat beside me.

"They haven't let her out of their sight for a month. Mom's almost in her third trimester, so she's even more baby-obsessed than usual, and Nat is currently trying to convince Steve to adopt. Linda has quite the effect."