Two of A Kind

7- Awakening

As she floated in a sea of peaceful nothingness, Aite could faintly hear voices all around her. They weren't constant and it felt useless trying to follow their conversations. She just wanted to rest.

"I don't know."

"No one knew she had the other two."

"Why come this far, only to sacrifice herself?"

"Strange took the Stones. No one will find them."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Why the concern, Loki?"

"She saved his life."

"She saved us all."

---

Aite didn't want to go back toward the pain and brightness of the world. She wanted to stay in the dark, blissful nothing, but something wouldn't let her. Something was nudging her awake. Annoying her until she had no choice but to pay attention. No choice but to move toward the deep, aching pain and it's too bright light.

"Finally." Loki sighed, plopping down into an overplush chair.

"She's waking up." Natasha motioned toward the bed, silencing the group as Aite forced her eyes open.

"Easy," Tony placed a hand on her shoulder. "Take your time."

"How long-" she tried, her voice weak and cracking.

"About a week." Clint answered, setting a cup of water on a nearby table and rolling it so she could reach it, if she wanted.

"This may hurt." Thor warned as he adjusted the bed until she sat up and then helped her readjust until she had entirely too many pillows behind her and along each side.

She nodded in thanks and reached forward for the water, letting out a frustrated grunt when she couldn't lift the cup to her mouth.

"Idiots," Loki cursed, pushing Clint out of the way to drop a straw into the cup and push it close enough for her to get to. "Slowly." He instructed, his voice softer than she ever remembered hearing it.

She took a small sip, just enough to wet her dry mouth and throat, fighting the impulse to down the entire cup in one gulp. She then lay back with a sigh, the small action seeming to take all her energy, and closed her eyes for a moment. "A week?"

"Yes," Natasha answered. "You were lucky. If any of us had tried what you did, we'd be dead."

"We owe you our thanks." Steve spoke out from the doorway. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

Aite gasped dramatically.  "You, of all people, doubted me?"

"Yep. She's back." Clint smiled, lifting her hand to his mouth, ignoring Loki's glare.

She smiled and turned her attention to Tony. "So how long until I can get up out of this bed and out of your hair?"

They all exchanged guilty looks, but Steve was the one to answer. "About that. Dr. Strange was very upset that you didn't include him in your plans. He took the stones and scattered them. Including the Time Stone."

Aite's mouth dropped open.

"I'm afraid you're stuck here." Loki elaborated.

---

It was a long and painful process, but Aite was determined to regain her independence, and refused all but the most basic of help from the team.

Loki, despite being ordered away from her more times than he could count, refused to leave her side.

"Just go!" She growled during a particularly hard day. "Find your wife if you want someone to dote on."

He picked her up out of the floor, standing her on her feet and using his magic to help her keep her balance. "I have no interest in finding this woman you keep throwing in my face. She sounds like an absolute menace, not unlike yourself at the moment."

She scoffed. "You think that now. Just wait." She finished her painful walk to the bookshelf and pulled down the volume she wanted.

"I could have gotten that for you, you know." He crossed his arms and shook his head.

"I don't need your help." She grumbled, turning to make her way back to her seat.

He moved to stand behind her, placing a pillow between her back and the stiff wooden chair.  "Clearly."

She opened the book and started flipping through the pages,  looking for a spell that would allow her to go back to her own time.  So far, all references she'd found to time travel  either used the Time Stone or were woefully inaccurate science fiction.

Twenty minutes later,  she slammed the book closed and pushed it toward the far end of the table. "Damn it!" She yelled when it went too far and hit the floor, knowing it was going to hurt like hell to pick it up. Not to mention it was going to set back her healing, and getting her magic working again, by Olympus knows how long.

Loki waved his fingers, making the book float back onto the shelf.

She glared. "I could have gotten that."

He smiled back, making her stomach flutter. "I know."

She turned away, begging for the butterflies in her stomach to just die already. They had no business going crazy over a man who would soon be married to the woman of his dreams.

She reached back and massaged the back of her neck, willing the unwanted thoughts away.

"Allow me." He whispered into her ear, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She stiffened and started to move away, only to be pushed back down into the chair.

"Now stop being so stubborn and let me help you."

She rolled her eyes.

"Relax." He instructed,  moving his hands across her shoulders and back until her shoulders loosened, his cool hands relaxing away the pain. "I could heal you, give you back your magic, with little more than this." He kept his voice low and soothing as his hands worked the stiff muscles of her neck and shoulders. "Just a massage. Just like this. Slow. Easy. Gentle."

She let her eyes drift shut, not in the least surprised how much sense his argument made. She leaned forward onto the desk to allow him more access to her back.

"Is that a yes?" He asked, leaning over her to whisper into her ear.

She sighed, "Just shut up and fix me."

A wave of green tinted magic turned the desk into a massage table,  complete with thick white padding and a small shelf of light colored oils.

He picked her up as if she were as delicate as fine china and lay her down. "You'll want to turn over, face down."

She winced as she turned, laying her forehead on her crossed arms.