Mischief's Princess - Avengers [Loki] FanFic

Chapter Four - Nightmares

A/N: Hello guys! So, this is chapter four, it's only a short upload as I just wanted to post something before I go back to school, because my updates will be a lot slower from then onwards. Thanks for all of your comments and votes on previous chapters, I really appreciate it. Enjoy and have a wonderful day/night, love abbiemca x 

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Chapter Four - Nightmares

After we broke away from our kiss, Loki laced his cold fingers with mine and walked me to my bedroom. He kissed me once more before wishing me goodnight and retreating into his own room. I smiled to myself as I entered the room, shutting the door behind me. I don't think I've ever been this happy before, ever. All of the trouble with Sif had escaped my mind as I had deemed her unfit to worry over. 

I walked over to the wardrobe in search of some pyjamas and quickly picked some out. They were white silk and their texture soothed my skin as I held them. I quickly changed and slipped under the white covers of my bed. I flicked my wrist at the light switch and the golden glow that illuminated the room soon faded to darkness, the only light that remained being from the soft glow of the stars outside. 

I couldn't sleep at first, I was too happy to do any such thing. But soon enough, my thoughts began to merge together and just as I was about to fall into slumber, there was a ringing noise in the back of my head. I sat upright in the bed and rubbed my head, thinking I was just imagining things. But then when the noise didn't fade, I realised what it was. It was Loki. I jumped from the bed and teleported myself into his room.

His room was dark, just as mine was, so I flicked on a small lamp which rested on a cabinet beside his bed. He was fast asleep, and just as I had imagined, he was writhing in his bed, sweating and muttering under his breath. He was having a nightmare. His brow was furrowed and it was collecting beads of sweat. The small tosses and turns were slowly becoming thrashing and he was getting caught up and tangled in his covers. His muttering was becoming louder but not once did he shout or scream. 

"No..No..Let her go, please." He said, beads of sweat rolling down his face. I sat myself down on his black bed covers and placed my palm on his clammy forehead. His talking quietened back into mumbles and he stopped thrashing around in his covers. I was attempting to clear his mind and so far it was working. His breathing was no longer ragged and he had stopped tossing and turning completely now. I smiled at my good work and just as I was about to return to my room, Loki's eyes fluttered open and he sat bolt upright. As he did so, he grasped his head as the sudden movement had dazed him. 

"Loki, lie back down, you'll hurt yourself." I whispered. His green eyes widened and he didn't do as I had said, he just grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a tight, desperate embrace. 

"Ava, you're okay, you're okay..." He muttered into my shoulder, over and over. I frowned slightly but I didn't move. 

"I'm fine, Loki, you just had a bad dream," I said, trying to soothe him, but it wasn't working. He still clung to me as if I was going to disappear. "I'm not going anywhere, Loki." As I said that, he seemed to calm down and his grip on me softened a little. 

"They...they were doing it to you, Ava." 

"Who?"

"Everybody. Everybody who did it to me." 

"Did what to you?"

"Punished me." 

"W-what do you mean?" 

"When...When I came back with Thor. I was punished. I was imprisoned and..and tortured. Kind of. But Odin didn't know about that. It was the guards who beat me. I was left to live on just a two cups of water a day and a slice of bread. Ava, it was horrible. And they...they were doing it to you," Loki said, his green eyes now filling with tears. I wiped one tear from his face. What have they done to him? My God, they've ruined him, he can't even sleep properly. Starving him...that'll be why he's lost so much weight, not that he had much to begin with. 

"Loki, it's alright. They haven't touched me, it was all just a bad dream." I said, trying to usher him back to sleep. He was slowly but surely calming down. He lowered himself back onto his pillows but his eyes were still wide open, red and puffy. I stroked back his hair from his face. 

"But Ava...what if they do torture you?" He said, his eyes darting everywhere. I continued pushing his hair away from his face.

"They're not going to touch me, Loki. I have done nothing wrong. I promise, they won't touch me." 

"You can't promise that Ava. You don't know." He said, grabbing hold of my hand. 

"Please just go to sleep, Loki." I said, as my own eyes began to sting with tiredness. He shook his head and tightened his grip on my hand. 

"I can't. Every time I sleep, I get the same nightmares. I can't sleep, Ava. Because when I get them, it's you, in that grubby cell, being beaten to a pulp and slowly losing weight. And I can't do anything to stop it, I can't help you, I just stare at the scene. I can't even wake up most of the time. And you expect me to sleep when all of that awaits me?" He said, his eyes pierced mine. I didn't answer him, I just looked in his green eyes as they began to brim with tears once more. He then pulled me beside him. "Stay here. That way I know they won't get you." 

"Loki, I'm only next door you know-"

"Please," He said. I nodded and then pulled the covers up and climbed inside them. Loki pulled me closer to him, his bare chest cool against my thin pyjamas. He wrapped his arms around me and he seemed to be quite certain that we'd both be safe from his nightmares. 

"Goodnight, Loki." 

"Goodnight, Ava." 

And soon, Loki drifted off and once I was satisfied that his dreams didn't return, I found myself falling asleep in his cold arms.