I Die Without You

Prompt 7: Scream

As soon as Loki entered his quarters with Beverlee, once the door slid shut,  automatic lights activated. 

"This isn't like the first time when we're in the Med Centre. You're going to need to wear something more comfortable to sleep," Loki said, and walked over to his closet. He took a t-shirt off a hanger and handed it to Beverlee. 

She looked at the shirt. It was white and had the "I heart/love New York" logo on it, which caused her to smile in morbid amusement. 

"Did Thor give this to you?" she asked.

"How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," she said, then made her way into the bathroom to change. When she emerged, Loki was already in his pyjamas.  They were the blue ones he wore when they stayed at the Royal Suite at the Plaza.   She smiled, admiring how nice they looked on him.

"Well, I'm comfortable," Beverlee said, "now it's your turn."

Loki climbed into bed, and she proceeded to tuck him in.  

"Beverlee," Loki said, "I'm glad you're here, but even so, I'm still not keen on sleeping."

Beverlee climbed up onto the bed and sat beside him, then reached out and slowly stroked his cheek, "I understand. But if you have another nightmare, I'll be right here when you wake up. And if it gets too much, I will contact Lowenstein with that pager." She could see his worried expression remained, "hey, what is it? What's  really bothering you?"

"I don't want you to laugh at me."

"Of course I won't. What is it?"

"I feel quite... battered... when the representation of you speaks such awful things to me. Worse than when the Hulk smashed me like a rag doll years ago."

"The Hulk did what?!" Beverlee asked in shock.

"A story for another time, but while I survived that, I don't know if my heart could take another beating with such harsh words."

"I'm so sorry you have to face this alone," Beverlee said, "but maybe there is a way for me to help..."

"Well, yes, there is," Loki said with a mischievous grin.

He proceeded to quickly grab Beverlee by the waist -  she yelped in surprise. Lifting her off the edge of the bed, he carefully plunked her down to lay beside him, "that's better," he said. 

Shaken, but not fazed, she moved onto her side grabbing a pillow for her head to lay, then said, with an amused smile, "that's not what I meant."

"Beverlee, I want to test a theory," Loki said softly, his hand reached out to grasp her shoulder.

"I just bet you do," she said in a mock-defiant tone.

"I'm hoping with you near, you might be able to disrupt whatever it is that causes the nightmares."

"I'm not opposed to that," she said, "but Loki, there's something else that could help you contend with the nightmares." Getting under one of the blankets, which left a blanket separating them, she continued, "you're now aware of 'our reality' - you KNOW I care about you. So if you are confronted by a representation of me, and she makes an attempt to hurt you with words, well, you'll know she's fake and NOT me, so from there you can fight it." 

"That's my clever girl," Loki said, lifting the hand from her shoulder to stroke her hair, "I will keep that in mind if another nightmare manifests itself. Please... turn around?"

Beverlee knew then that Loki was ready to go to sleep. Before complying to his request, she gave him an encouraging smile then moved closer and kissed his forehead.