When We Lie

Chapter 4

The elevator takes you straight to your floor, and you muster up all your will not to burst out of it and kick open your door. You ignore Loki, who's gotten a hold of a book, and march straight to the bathroom. You shower, wrap a towel around you and crack open the door. Loki is still reading, not paying you any mind.

Good. If he does, you'll smack him so hard he flies back to Asgard.

You walk over to the wardrobe and roam around it when you hear a quiet hiss. You look at Loki who is now staring at you with a mixed expression.

"What?" you growl. "If you don't like it, then leave!"

He goes back to his book.

"What are you, mute?" you whisper to yourself and choose a pair of shorts and a t-shirt too big for you.

"How about lunch? I'm feeling a bit hungry," Loki says from the couch.

"How about I choke you for that dirty trick?"

He laughs. "My dear, in war there's no such thing as dirty tricks. All bets are off."

"Ah, I forgot how old you are. Of course you've fought wars."

He shrugs. "Not really, but I have fought in and won many battles."

"Last I checked, Thor was the winner."

He flinches. "I don't remember you being an expert on my life. But considering everything you know about my mythological self..." He gives you a nasty glare and stands up. "Hungry?"

You are, but you almost deny it just to make him suffer. But there's no reason trying to win this if you also get hurt.

"Let's go."

***

Cap is the first to break the silence. "So, how's it going?"

"Kindly don't ever talk to me again," you say sweetly while cooking some soup.

"Thank you for taking care of my brother," Thor says.

Loki, who's sitting on the kitchen island, rolls his eyes. Thor glares at him in return.

"It's so quiet in here," Loki remarks, ignoring Thor's warning looks. "Where are all the rest?"

"Out on missions," Cap replies. "Thank you," he says when you hand him a bowl. "Do you feel comfortable, Loki?"

"Well, of course. I can move more than a few meters, and there's fresh air." For added effect, he takes a deep breath. "I can smell it. Freedom."

Natasha gives him a wary eye. "How is that room coming along?" she asks no one in particular.

"According to Stark, it'll be finished tomorrow," Cap replies and hands her some butter. "This is delicious."

"Good," you say while putting Loki's portion in front of him. "It's vegan," you add when he inspects it. "I'm not that petty."

"Thank the stars," Loki sarcastically says. "I thought I had to resort to eating dirt."

You remember what he said about prison and wince. You take your plate and go sit by the others, leaving Loki alone.

Afterwards, Cap drags you to the corner to speak privately. "Is everything all right between you two?"

"Uh, no. Why would it be? I loathe the guy. He killed Xiaoli!"

"Can you do this, or does Thor have to take him with him?"

You grimace and refuse to look at him. "I can do it. Just leave."

Cap takes a step back but doesn't stop looking at you. "If there's any problems, call me."

"Yes, father."

He shakes his head and leaves. When he passes Loki and Thor, the god of mischief looks over at you. You give him a tired look and follow Cap out the kitchen.

***

"What do you usually do when bored?" Loki asks a few hours later. You've been cooped up in your room, you on your bed and him on the couch. "TV is boring and your books... are questionable."

"Don't hate on my taste," you warn without taking your eyes off your sketchbook.

"Come on, there must be something more entertaining than hormonal teenagers saving the world while worrying about cruches."

"True," you agree. "I also love adult fantasy and historical dramas. I just love magic, is all. What's wrong with that?" You look up when he doesn't reply. "Loki?"

He blinks rapidly a few times to gather his bearings. "You like magic?"

You frown but nod. "Yes. Elves, witches, fantasy worlds and so on. Didn't you understand that from looking at my bookshelves?"

"Yes, but..." He looks at your collection. "Fighting with magic is different from fighting without it."

You laugh and try to hide it with a cough. "Say that again, but slower."

He glowers at you.

"Fine, sorry." You put your sketchbook away and lay on your stomach. "It's not an underhand method, if that's what you're thinking about." By the way he cringes, your guess is right. "Loki, you have a wonderful ability. It would be a waste not to use it to defend yourself. Asgard is full with vikings and warriors, and they use raw strength, right? That's why Thor's so popular. But you, you have the ability to fight outside the box. It's just unfortunate that you've been brought up in a culture where magic is unusual, and therefore seen as a sign of being weak."

"How?" He turns to cross his arms above the couch. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"There aren't many Asgardians in Norse mythology that know magic. That I remember, at least." You look at his hands. "And Loki? You're shaking."

His hands disappear behind the couch and he lays down to hide.

"You're not weak," you finish your speech. "You're just different."

"And that's not bad?" he asks quietly.

"It is. The world is cruel to the ones that cannot adapt. But, if you're lucky, you'll find people to support and help you with that. You obviously learned how to use magic. I'd call that adapting, at least somewhat."

"Not in Asgard."

You roll over to your back. "If Asgard is still stuck in olden times, then there's no helping it. Be yourself, but do it smartly."

"How?"

"Prove without a shadow of a doubt that you matter."

He sits up again to look at you. "I already did, and I failed."