2 | 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 ▹ LOKI LAUFEYSON

xviii. the progress

L O K I

Despite Gamora's advice to get some rest during the flight to Xandar, Loki could not find it. At first, the thought of getting out of that wretched cell was too appealing to miss; those white walls were maddening. But now, the realization had set in.

They were going directly against Thanos. The very thought of the Titan filled Loki with dread. He glanced around the small ship that they had stolen from Knowhere. It would not stand a chance against the Sanctuary. He almost laughed at the name of the Mad Titan's ship, named as if it were some noble vessel of safety when it only brought death and destruction.

Amora seemed to be making a meager attempt to sleep, curled up in the seat across, but she shifted constantly. Finally, she stopped with a sigh and looked over at Loki, offering his a small smile before turning her gaze toward the floor. Her eyes became distant as she ran the green stone—the soul-keeper—along its chain. The look in her eye almost seemed somber.

A thought came to Loki's mind that had been lingering since their departure from Asgard. Despite how much he dreaded the answer, he cleared his throat and asked, "Do you wish that he had been there?"

Amora's gazed focused on him. "What?"

"Do you wish Theoric had been there when he left?"

Amora paused in thought before shaking her head slightly. "I think he would have just been unhappy."

"Well, you did leave with one of his least favorite people," Loki said with a playful smirk.

"And me going on missions is one of his least favorite things," she said, but despite the joking nature of it, her smile did not reach her eyes.

But Amora's lips turned into a lopsided smile and she added in genuine mirth, "But I doubt his presence could have made our departure anymore uncomfortable."

Loki barked out a laugh at the memory. With Frigga anxiously fretting over the both of them and Odin watching in silent disapproval, the tension was heavy in the air. Loki hardly made it any easier, taking advantage of his freedom and necessity with no small amount of smart quips.

A smirk played on Loki's lips. The whole ordeal would have been far more easier if he had kept his mouth shut, but where was the fun in that?

"How did you get Odin to approve of this? Of me coming?"

Amora hummed in thought. "It was no easy feat, but I told him of the necessity and the urgency...and your mother helped, of course," she added slyly.

"Of course," Loki repeated softly with a chuckled.

"But why not Lorelei?" he pressed, "Odin would have been more likely to approve of her."

Amora paused and glanced at Gamora, who was in the cockpit with her eyes glued to the stars ahead and her hands wrapped tightly around the controls. Quietly, the brunette got up and moved to sit next to Loki but did not look at him.

A flash of pain flickered across her face as she leaned in to speak. "I once thought that I could break through to her. Get her to see reason and make amends," she said softly, "but Lorelei is a lost cause."

"And I'm not?" Loki asked incredulously.

"No," Amora said simply.

Loki stared at her in disbelief. How could she say that, after everything that he had done? If anything, he was worse than Lorelei.

"You're very similar," Amora conceded thoughtfully, "You both used skill and magic to take power that you thought you deserved, fueled by anger and pain and rejection. You've hurt people; you've killed people."

Subconsciously, Loki drew away from her. Normally, anyone listing his acts would have given him some sense of pride and accomplishment as their words dripped with anger and contempt. But now, as Amora spoke softly with such sad acceptance, he wanted to sink into his seat and disappear.

He started when a hand rested gently on his. Amora kept her eyes on their hands and said bitterly, "But Lorelei is heartless, without a care for anyone but herself."

"And you think I care about people?" Loki coughed out a humorless laugh, "Don't fool yourself, Amora."

"You are the one that's fooling yourself. You care for Frigga, no matter what you may say," she added quickly as he opened his mouth.

She went on. "You care for Thor."

"Now that is complete rubbish."

"Oh, so your questions about the battles only come from your concern for the soldiers?" Amora asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, it was more interesting than hearing about whatever idiot boys you had patched up that day," he quipped.

"Only some of them are idiots, and you and Thor were no different. I know that you're too stubborn to admit that you care, but I also know that you two were inseparable for over a thousand years."

Loki stayed silent for a moment, unwilling to admit or give notice to the flashes of memory from his upbringing with Thor. The blond was often the target of Loki's pranks, but he was also a co-conspirator in many others.

"So," Amora went on, "you have Frigga and Thor and..."

Loki looked over at her expectantly as she trailed off, but she suddenly appeared interested in a loose string on her tunic. With a sigh, she said, "My point is that if you're capable of caring for someone, you're capable of doing good."

Leaning back in her seat, she muttered, "And I would hardly be able to sleep peacefully with Lorelei nearby. She did try to kill me the last time I worked with her." Amora simply shrugged. "And I could never trust her with this."

"And you trust me?" Loki meant to sound doubtful, but his voice only seemed uncertain.

Amora turned her head toward him and met his gaze steadily. "Yes."

Her hand, which had not moved from his, gave a soft squeeze. With a quiet smile, she closed her eyes and relaxed into her seat. Almost immediately, her breathing deepened and her head started bobbing lightly until finally coming to rest on his shoulder.

After a moment of tense stillness, Loki slowly leaned his head back against the wall and found the rest that had been evading him.

* * *

Sorry for the late chapter again. I know this was sort of a filler chapter, but I should definitely be able to pump chapters out more frequently now, so keep an eye on my message board for updates!

Let me know what you thought of being in Loki's POV since we haven't had that in a while!

And of course, don't forget to comment and vote! I always love seeing those!

Thanks! :)