For Better or For Worse (Loki x Reader)

Chapter Twenty

Kay, umm well, this is late, I apologize, but I had a really stressful week (my sister was in the hospital). The ending is kind of crap, but it's ok. I hope you enjoy. Let me know with a comment and/or vote! Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Loki's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The air was tense and (Y/N) and I traipsed through the garden. Her fingers were intertwined with mine, but I could feel her squeezing my hand tightly in her own. I could here her small mumbled that continued to spill from her lips. When I glanced over at her, her head was down, staring at the ground. Without even seeing her eyes, I knew she was glaring down at the dirt beneath her feet, rage in her eyes.

She was honestly worrying me a little. I hadn't expected her to get mad over Tony's reaction. Yes, to them, it was a surprise to hear that I was happily married. To (Y/N) that was no longer a surprise, it was her life, she lived it every day. The Avengers was me as a monster and murderer, it was only normal that they would be surprised. That didn't mean it didn't sting. (Y/N) now knew me personally, knew why I had committed those awful crimes against the people of Midgard. She understood me. But not all of me.

I quietly pulled (Y/N) behind me as we neared the southeast corner of the garden. Fireflies floated ok the calm air of the night, the sounds of crickets and another night animals playing their melody. I smiled as a certain tree entered my view. It had been by that tree that I had realized my feelings for the beautiful woman I had to honor to call my wife. She had been sitting on that bench under the trellis of morning glories, just sitting their reading, and no one could hope to have been more beautiful.

I stopped us next to the tree and turned to grab    (Y/N)'s free hand in mine. There was still a glare on her gorgeous face as she looked down at the ground at her feet. I frowned at her actions. I didn't want her to get mad or upset about me. I let go of her hand and grasped her chin gently with my right hand, lifting it slowly until her (E/C) orbs met mine.

"Don't be upset, little Dove," I soothed. "They're not worth it." She slapped my hand away, her glower deepening.

"But you are!" she shouted, and I could see tears forming at the corner of her eyes. I was shocked by her statement. I hadn't heard anything like that form anyone before. I didn't know what to say. There had been so much conviction in her voice. No one except my mother had defended me like that before. It was strange and foreign, but it made my heart squeeze.

I reached back for her hands, but she yanked them away once more, instead brining her hands to the side of her head, grasping at her hair. "Don't do that, darling," I chastised lightly. "You'll mess up you're hair." This only seemed to make her more angry. She threw her hands back down at her sides, clenched in fists. My eyes widened when I saw a soft yellow light emit from her clenched hands. I had never seen her like this before.

"I don't care about my damn hair! I care about you!" she snapped. "Gods, they just, they don't understand what you went through, what you had to suffer through. You didn't have a choice. They don't understand that, and they don't know what a wonderful man you are." By the time she was done with her small speech, there were tears rolling down her cheeks, causing her makeup to run.

"Oh, dove," I whispered, stepping forward and moved slowly to put my hands on her cheeks as to not frighten her. She allowed me to press my palms to her wet cheeks, carefully cleaning the tears form under her eyes, clearing away her ruined makeup as well. "Don't do that," I murmured, leaning in to press a long, chaste kiss to her forehead. "You're right; they don't understand, and honestly," I said, pulling back, "I don't think they're ever going to. And that's fine." Her eyes widened at my statement. "Shh," I hushed gently her before she could speak. "All I need is for you to understand; that's all I ask," I said. "I just need my loving wife to know my mistakes and forgive me, to understand that no one is perfect. And I need you to bring out the best in me." She nodded, a ghost of a smile on her face.