Distorted Beauty {Pure Illusion Series: Book 4}

Chapter 15

A/N: I wish I had a better explanation as to why it's been so long since I published a chapter. Lately, I've been feeling defeated with my writing, constantly writing, rewriting and still hating it. I love the story I'm sharing, I truly do. It's my portrayal of Sigyn I struggle with the most, as she does not have any character line to go off of other than a few myths and horrid comics. While I've written her now for close to two years (WOW), I get upset when people say "you portrayed her wrong" or "she wouldn't say this", mainly because I worry I'm not doing the character justice. Balancing her strength, her weakness, her stubbornness and submissiveness is hard enough but with Loki it's on it's head. 

I've just been sad lately, just in general, with everything. I don't mean to make this sound depressing, really I don't, I just could use some good news. BUT ANYWAY, enough whining! We're back again with a cute, fluffy chapter with Easter Eggs scattered about! As always, enjoy and see you soon for Chapter 16! 

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It had been nearly two weeks since Loki had been on the brink of death... Almost two months since she had come to Earth. 14 months ago, she had been in a prison hold terrified of the man who now sat next to her on the sofa.

Loki's lean figure had begun to fill in, thanks to Sam and Steve's remarkable cooking. Thor and Jane were gone more often than not, planning to return to Asgard one day and possibly be wed at last. Thor missed his friends, the banquet hall and even his noble steed. For the maiden, Asgard seemed a lifetime away.

It wasn't that Sigyn had grown tired of Midgard, her heart just longed to breathe in Asgardian air once more. To feel the Rainbow Bridge under her feet, to hear of far off places from the Great Heimdall - to be curled up in bed while Loki read by the fire. Her memories taunted her. The thing about memories was that they are sometimes painful to remember what is not anymore. Snuggling into Loki's side, she felt his arm come around her and absentmindedly rub her shoulder while they watched movie Tony had put in – something called the "Star Wars".

Loki detested watching films, stating as loud as he could it was far too boring to watch the moving images and more impressive to hear people recite stories from memory. It usually ended with Clint reciting some story called "The Odyssey" and Natasha backhanding him for making some sort of joke.

The group had grown recently, the addition of a pair of twins named Wanda and Pietro after a battle for Earth's survival. Ultron - the creation of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner - had cost many their lives. Pietro had been lucky – Tony had been able to revive him after Clint had dragged what he thought was a corpse onto the Quinjet. It was reminders like this that Sigyn was glad Loki had begged her to stay behind and tend to him – luck was not always on her side in the battlefield.

A man with a golden cape hovered nearby; he was all that remained of JARVIS and had christened himself with the name "The Vision". He was kind and doted after Wanda as if she were a papier-mâché doll. Pietro hated the way they stared at one another, mortified that they could perhaps fall in love one day. It was at times that he would say something in his native tongue to Wanda, who in turn would use her magic to hurl something at his head. Sigyn liked them, far more than Loki who did not trust the presence of the "enhanced" humans.

But they had lost a friend as well.

Dr. Banner hadn't been seen since the confrontation with Ultron had been resolved. The fight had taken the most out of him; he had nearly destroyed an entire city in a fit of rage spurned by Wanda when she and her brother had sided with Ultron. Ultron had been destroyed, and that should have been enough to resolve whatever guilt he was feeling after helping Tony create it, but it hadn't and he had flown off with one of the Quinjets.