Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 71: Burning Bright

A/N- hey guys!! I haven't been on WP for 2 years now, I've kind of grown out of it I guess. But I suddenly got the urge to finish uploading this book. I know @lonelywolf99 has posted these remaining 30 chapters already, and I thank them immensely for doing when my lazy ass forgot about it. I just feel like I have to finish uploading all the chapters in one spot for the sake of convenience, ya know?? Anyway, I'm really sorry for forgetting about this book, I'm writing this at 11:42 pm wooooooohoooo

Chapter Seventy-One

Burning Bright

Milky Way Galaxy

Sol System

Nine Realms / Planet Earth

Loki knew he couldn't actually drag out talking to Thor much longer, but he still felt like it was necessary for him to have at least some peace and quiet to gather his thoughts and remind himself why he had to do all this.

He walked out of the kitchen when Banner managed to capture Thor's attention by updating him on some Avengers matters. The breakfast was such a silly thing and Loki mainly blamed Hatchet for it, but he did not deny that it was good. A good reminder of what he had right now to chase away the shadows of his past that resurfaced the second he laid eyes on Thor.

It was like everything he felt about Thor, Odin and Asgard came to the forefront immediately. He could feel everything right below the surface again, like his wounds have been poked at until they were red, swollen or bleeding. The breakfast was such a silly thing indeed, but it pushed all his darker thoughts away again. He felt like he was ready to face Thor, he really just needed to collect himself a bit first.

But of course Stark followed him back into their bedroom after a little while. Loki did not look up from where he was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling when the door opened, he could recognise his footsteps anyway.

'So let me ask you a question,' Stark said after he closed the door. Loki didn't say anything, so Stark took that as his cue to continue. 'Were you trying to prove a point with this, or were you just being a little petty, tried to hurt him a little, what?'

Loki sighed and sat up on the bed, running a hand down his face. He honestly thought about it for a moment.

'Maybe a bit of all that,' he admitted. 'It's just... one moment I want him to listen, but the next moment I get so angry at him and I just want to punch him in the face... or worse.'

Stark sat down next to him on the bed, close enough so that they were shoulder-to-shoulder.

'It's a huge messy ball of contradictory emotions,' Stark said. 'You've always been like that about Thor, for as long as I've known you.'

'It's been like this for a very long time now, long before...' he gestured with his hand, not even sure what he wanted to indicate with it. '...everything. I just never did anything about it.'

It was the truth, long before he learnt about his heritage this was already there. It was always a complicated mess of love, admiration, jealousy and anger.

'And it's not like he would've cared to hear about it.'

'That's not true,' Stark said right away.

'You do not know that. You've only ever met this "new changed man" or whatever he claims to be. I have known him all my life.'

'I doubt you two ever took the time to actually get to know one another.'

'We grew up together.'

'Yes, and you both played the roles that were dealt to you. You're not the only one who's capable of putting up a front you know. Or the only one who hid things because of what was expected of you.' Stark shifted around a little to turn a bit towards Loki before he continued.