Bittersweet *Currently On Temporary Hold*

Chapter 19: Sharks, Fish, and Earrings

It didn't take Loki more than a second to stand up and reach for the door.

He paused after thinking for a moment, turned to Steve and spoke.

"Thank you." Was all that left Loki's mouth. It was sincere and serious; no joking hint or teasing tone.

With that Loki turned back to the door and opened it slowly, hoping you were either sleeping or quietly waiting for him. He didn't know which option he would prefer to find. 

When the door was open enough for the mischievous god to enter, he slid into the room and softly shut the door behind him; not making a sound.

When he turned around he was met with the sight of you, covered in bandages, laying on your bed with your eyes closed. You weren't asleep. Loki could tell by the way you breathed, you were still awake, just resting your eyes.

"(Y/N)?" Loki called softly as he pulled a chair over to the bed quietly. Your eyes fluttered open as your wings twitched and you looked around for the man you wanted to see most.

When your eyes found him, you smiled, happy to see him after this whole fiasco.

"Hi Loki."

Your smile sparked any and all hope Loki needed that you would pull through. The optimistic tone in your voice was uplifting and beautiful to his worry-filled ears.

"How are you feeling?" Loki asked, noticing cotton wads wedged between feathers on your wings that has blood stains on them. It made him want to cry.

"I've been better." You chuckled at the end of your sentence. Your smile was dimmed ever so lightly by bruises covering your face, but it was still bright enough to light up an entire room. Despite the bandages that covered your body, there were no breaks or fractures in bones so you could move around, it just hurt, so Loki wasn't overly concerned when you sat up and ruffled your swings a bit.

"How long do they want you to stay here?"

"They said it would be anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks depending on how fast I heal." You respond, looking to the bandages and wounded feathers.

'That's a long time. You need to tell her. Either spill now or wait till later when she's better. But which?'
Loki thought to himself as he watched you look over your wings. 'Was that a tear? Oh god! What's wrong? Why is she crying?'

"Kate, are you alright?" His tone was almost panicked.

"My wings... he-he.....he clipped them." You stutter out as tears fill your eyes.

Loki ran his eyes over the wings and noticed that the correct feathers had been clipped to render you flightless. He thought he felt a couple tears in his eyes as well while his heart sank.

"Come here darling." His voice was weak, almost breaking.

Loki had his arms opened when you looked over to him through the blurring tears in your eyes.

Slowly, to minimize the pain, you shifted your weight and pivoted around to face Loki. His arms enveloped you gently and held you as you brought your healing arms to rest around his waist. You didn't care that it hurt.

You hugged him for a long time. You just needed some comfort and someone who wouldn't protest. Loki had become a close friend and you hoped he wouldn't mind you clinging to him for this long.

He didn't. He loved holding you. He just let you stay there and cry for as long as you wanted, keeping his arms around you, hoping he was doing something to comfort you.

Once you had let it all sink in, you sat back and thanked Loki for the hug. You didn't expect him to be so willing, but you were happily surprised.