A Broken Heart [A Loki Fanfiction] [COMPLETED]

Chapter 3

"Ah, finally! Where on Valhalla have you been?" Odin said when Loki entered the dining room with Thor. One could claim that he was talking to both of his sons, but the way he looked at his youngest made Loki certain that he was mainly talking to him –which was not exactly pleasant since he was practically scolding him.

"Loki was asleep, and I had to wake him up," Thor explained as the Odinsons approached the table.

"Well, now sit down –and Loki, what's with that grimace –you look as if somebody died."

"I'm okay, it will go," he responded, sitting down on a chair. "Not that you care..." he whispered to himself.

It seemed like Thor heard what his brother said because he looked at him nervously when he sat opposite to him.

The meal was served, and Odin and Thor had begun eating. Loki had eaten almost nothing, and he was just moving his fork inside the plate, picking at its contents thoughtfully.

"You know, Thor, you might behave like an oaf sometimes, but you were right about one thing," he talked, picking the carving knife that Odin had used to cut the meat they were eating and observing its blade cautiously.

"Now should I be offended or not?"

"I don't know... I wouldn't if I were you."

"What was I right about?"

"I have no appetite," he remarked. He gripped the knife's handle and ran it along the table's surface, creating a long deep scrape, his face remaining blank. The moment his grip on the handle loosened, he realised the insanity of his action. What the hell are you even thinking?

"What are you doing?" Odin yelled.

"Would you prefer me to do this to myself? Oh, no, wait; you don't want your precious palace to get dirty because of my blood –may I go outside?" What are you saying?! Are you out of your mind?! Come to your damn senses.

"Stop being a fool and eat your food, you-"

"Father, stop it!" Thor interfered. "No need to make matters worse –Loki has already been having a hard time."

"I don't need your protection, brother!" Loki opposed. "I can protect myself!"

"I don't think so."

Loki's underlip twitched. "Wow. So rude," he mocked. "So, in your eyes, I am a mere pathetic scoundrel that can't even stand for himself? Wow. You take an A for emotional support, brother."

"It's not that you are incapable of it -it's that you don't make an effort."

Loki didn't answer. He looked down at the knife in his grasp, and then he held it with both hands and gazed at its blade with the same interest a doctor has when he examines a patient. Odin continued eating. Of course, he did.

"Excuse me for a second."

Loki stood up and left the room, went to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Then, he rolled up his sleeve and stared at the cuts. His forearm still looked bad. He turned on the sink, put his arm under the water and cleaned the wounds cautiously, watching as the colourless liquid turned crimson as it mingled with his blood.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked him when he returned to the dining room.

"'Alright' is a relative term when it comes to me," Loki replied. "Where is Father?" he asked then, noticing that Odin had left.

"He finished his food."

Loki sat down facing Thor. "It's not that I don't want to stop... what I... You know", he whispered and motioned his left arm slightly.

"Then why don't you just stop it?"

Asgardians definitely need to work on their psychology knowledge. Maybe check DSM-5, even. "The thing is... it's not that easy. I can't. I don't want to do it but I do it anyway, because then, for a moment, it takes all the..." he really had to say it, didn't he? "...the emotional pain away, and... it lasts for so little, yet it's so... It's like an addiction. I can't control it anymore. I don't know how to explain it"

"Brother..."

"I know, it's bad, I'm a fool."

"But, what can I do?"

"I don't know," Loki answered. He propped his body on his hands and tried to stand up by supporting himself on the table, but then he sat down again with a moan and a wince of pain on his face. He glanced at his arm and sighed.

"You should be a little more positive, brother," Thor advised him. "Not everything in life is that bad".

"The problem is life itself. We live only to die, we exist to turn to dust, we can see only to close our eyes one day and never open them again. What's the meaning of all this?"

"Love?"

"I don't feel anyone's love."

"Not even mine?" asked Thor.

Loki looked at his brother, confused. "I'm not sure I know what love is, after all".

Thor stood up and stood beside Loki. "Whatever happens," he said, "no matter what –even if it's terrible– you're my little brother."

Loki smiled faintly. "Thanks."

"Well brother, I have to admit that you might be breathing trouble sometimes, but you have that spark."

"I am the God of Mischief. I think that being breathing trouble is in my blood," Loki said with a smirk on his face.

He stood up and walked towards the door. "Thanks again," he said, stopping right before it and turning his face towards his brother. "For the motivational talk."

"Thanks for the proof."

"What proof?"

"That your heart is still in there, and the little brother I used to know is not at all gone."

Loki smiled and left the dining room, shutting the door behind him.

...

Howdy!!! Chapter three is here for you to read as you can see! Did you enjoy it? If so, let me know by voting and commenting.

Anyway, I remind you once again that, in case you find any errors in my text (grammar/vocabulary), please let me know in the comments so I can correct them!

Again, thank you so much for choosing to read my book! ♥