Who are you? (A Loki Love Story)

Chapter Seventeen - Goodbyes

        A half hour after a SHIELD team picks up Loki, we all walked into the shawarma joint that Tony had mentioned earlier. We were all stiff and sore from the fight, making us move pretty slowly, but I was the slowest of all, dragging behind the group. Nat kept looking at me worriedly on the walk here. When we walked inside, the workers were a little shocked to see us, but quickly got over it and treated us like normal customers on a normal day. Everyone ordered and I got up to the counter last. "I'll have four of your shawarma wrap thingies." I say, earning raised eyebrows from the workers. They didn't say anything though, just got us our food and started to clean the shop. Bruce looked at the pile of food in front of me.
        "Are you going to be able to eat all of that?" he asked. I laughed when I saw that he was truly curious.
        "Yea. I think that the only reason that I haven't passed out yet is because I don't have hardly any energy left. I need substance." He nods slowly and we all dig in. We eat in silence, and I wolf down the first two shawarma sandwiches, making them disappear in under ten minuets.
        "Holy crap." I hear someone say, and I look over to see Tony staring at me.
        "What?" I ask.
        "That is the fastest that I have ever seen food disappear." he says with awe.
        "Side effect." I say with a shrug.
        "What sort of side effect?" Bruce asks.
        "When I use my power, it takes energy. A lot of energy." I say. "For example, I had a test taken to see how long I could stay on fire, and I went full flame for a half hour before I passed out, and when they checked my weight, I was five pounds lighter." Everyone was listening now. My eyebrows furrowed as I thought of something. I slowly lifted the hem of my shirt to reveal a much smaller stomach, and the fact that you could very clearly count my ribs just by looking at them. "Huh..." I muttered. I looked up to see everyone staring with wide eyes. I put my shirt back down and continued to eat, but after a few seconds they started to talk again.
        "Your stab wound healed up nicely." Thor said, causing everyone's heads to shoot up and look at me again. I checked where it had been, and all that was left now was a large scar.
        "I haven't healed like that before." I comment. I go back to eating, ignoring the looks I got and I wondered why no one said anything else. We all ended up making small talk, but when I finished my food, I was so tired I could barely walk, and I knew I was on the point of passing out. Clint had to help me to the SHIELD jet that they had left on the street for us to get back, and the instant that I was strapped in, I fell asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


        "SOPHIE!!! GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED!!" I heard someone yell. I was being shaken, so I squirmed around until I was away and buried my face in the pillow. It was silent for a few minuets, and I thought whoever it was had left, until someone poured freezing cold water on my head. I shot up with a shocked gasp, to see Tony and Clint laughing their heads off. I went over to the sink in my bathroom and turned it on. They were laughing to hard to notice. I got two giant balls of water in the air and I turned the sink off and faced them. Their laughing cut off as they looked at me with fear of being doused with water.
        "You wouldn't." Clint says.
        "Not again." Tony says. I pretend to think about it, but then smile evilly.
        "I would." I say, and the orbs of water shoot at them. they try to jump out of the way, but I make the water follow them and soak them. They both made frustrated noises as they got the water out of their eyes. Now I was the one laughing. "Why did you guys get me up?" I ask after I finish my giggling fit.
        "Reindeer games is leaving in a few hours along with Thor. We thought that you might want to be there." Tony says.
        "And when he couldn't get you up I came in and yelled at you for about five minuets until I gave up and got the water." Clint finished. then he looked down at his soaked clothes. "And now I have to change." He muttered, and I giggled again. I looked down at my wet shirt and realized that someone had changed me out of my uniform..... and I was clean.
        "Clint, who....." I trailed off, gesturing to my clothes. He looked confused for a second before it dawned on him and he chuckled.
        "The nurse lady who went over your injuries cleaned you up." Thank goodness it wasn't an agent. That would have been hard to live down if I ever went on a mission with them.
        "I'm going to get ready now, so you two can leave." I say, opening the door.
        "Is this how you treat your friends?" Tony asks.
        "When they wake me up when I don't want to wake up, then yes." I reply as they leave. My door is almost closed when Tony sticks his foot in, blocking it.
        "Wait, I almost forgot. You need to pack a suitcase."
        "What? Why?" I asked.
        "I want you to stay at the tower with me and Bruce. Ill eventually get the rest of them to stay as well, but for now it'll be just us three." I stare at him, dumbfounded. He sees my expression and rolls his eyes. "Come on, you need to get away from SHIELD for a while, live a little."
        "Um, okay I guess..." I say.
        "Great!" He turns to go but stops again. "Oh, and we are dropping Loki off in central park, so wear something casual." He says before leaving. Central park? Guess ill find out later.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~


        We all met at the park two hours later, my suitcase already in Tony's car along with Bruce's. Nick had been surprisingly calm about me moving out of the base and taking a few weeks off. I had thought he would have flipped out but he took it with a strange sense of .... happiness? I don't know. Maybe someone had spiked his coffee.
        Thor arrived with Loki a few minuets later, along with Eric, who upon seeing I gave an enormous hug. He laughed but hugged back.
        "Good to see you, Sophie. I'm sorry to see you go." I laughed.
        "Oh come on, I was useless and we both know it." I said, and he laughed nodding in agreement. He went around to his car to get a device to take Thor and Loki back to their world, and I joined the others to say goodbye to Thor.
        "Goodbye Lady Crest." he said, giving me a bone crushing hug.
        "Bye Thor." I said, giving him a smile. I turn back to the group and I see Tony with a smirk on his face.
        "Hey reindeer games, any last words?" He asks Loki in a mocking tone. To everyone's utter surprise, Loki slowly nodded.
        "Should we let him?" Steve asks to no one in particular.
        "He is going away to prison forever, so why not." Clint says, also surprising everyone. I raise my eyebrow at him and he just shrugs. Thor takes off the metal mouth sealer he has on, and Loki works his jaw around as if it's stiff.
        "Speak, brother." Thor said, and Loki glared at him. If looks could kill, Thor would be ashes.
        "Actually, I want to speak to someone in private." He said.
        "Who?" Thor asked, confused. Loki turned to look at me.
        "Her." He said.
        "Me?!" I exclaimed. Loki sighed and rolled his eyes.
        "Yes you." He said with an eye roll.
        "No way. You don't get to talk to her alone Loki, not after kidnapping her." Nat said, her voice filled with venom.
        "Nat, it's alright." I said.
        "No, no it's not. not after-" I cut her off by dragging her and Clint a few feet away.
        "Nat, I'll be fine. There is absolutely nothing he could do that could surprise me." I said.
        "Would you really bet on that?" Nat asks.
        "You know what? Fine. He does anything at all that would surprise me, and ill owe Clint ten bucks." I say, and both of their eyes widen. They knew I was serious now. I don't gamble. Ever. Much like I never swear. "Anyway, you guys have to get the cube inside the transportation thing and make sure that it is all working properly right? That'll take a few minuets, and that is all that he is going to get." I say.
        "I don't know." Nat says, still doubtful.
        "Do you trust me?" I ask her.
        "With my life." She says.
        "Then you can trust me on this. It'll be absolutely fine." She huffs angrily, but doesn't say another word, and we rejoin the group.
        "So?" Thor asks. "Will you talk to my brother?"
        "I will. We can speak in private in the trees while you are preparing the cube." I say, and Thor nods. I see Steve walk up beside me.
        "Are you sure about this?" He asked, a worried look on his face.
        "Ill be fine, Steve. Like Clint said, He'll be locked up for a long time, so this won't do any harm." he frowned but nodded and walked away with the others. Loki and I walked slowly into the trees, out of sight from the others. We came to a stop a few feet away from a light pole and I turned to face him.
        "Alright Greeny, what did you want to say? I honestly have no idea why you want to talk to me, but I'm curious. So here we are. Now what do you want?" I ask. He takes a few steps closer, so that I am forced to look up at him. He was a good foot taller than I was.
        "I only wanted to do this." He says softly, startling me. I was confused for a second. He quickly leaned down, grabbing me and pulling me closer, and crushed his lips onto mine. Before my brain could register what was happening, I melted into the kiss, my lips moving with his. Then my brain caught up, and I realized who I was kissing and where we were. I pushed away, walking back a few steps.
        "W-Why... I-I mean.... What.." My brain couldn't get a full sentence out of my mouth, and I was shocked at how shaky I was.
        "I wasn't about to leave to go to prison without doing that."  He said, voice still soft.
        "W-Why?" I asked, flinching at my still stuttering voice.
        "Because you are a brilliant and beautiful creature. You stood up to me, threatened me, and got me to tell you my story. No one has even attempted that before." He paused and I was in shock. Did he really call me beautiful? "And I will see you again, I promise you that." There was a honest look on his face, and he looked into my eyes. My expression didn't move from the wide eyed look, and I was pretty sure my mouth was open slightly. "I'm sorry that I made you lose your little wager with Barton as well." He said with a chuckle. As if on cue, Clint came into the clearing, looking curiously between my shocked expression, and Loki chuckling.
        "Time to go." he said, and we all walked back to the group. My expression became neutral.... I hoped. Thor put on Loki's Metal gag, and held out an end of the device for him to take. he took it grudgingly, but before twisting the handle and disappearing, he looked into my eyes one last time and winked. I knew that he had on his smirk on beneath the gag. He twisted the handle and they both vanished.
        We all started to disperse, and before I forgot, I slipped a ten out of my wallet and handed it to Clint. He raised an eyebrow. "Don't ask." I said, and he chuckled and walked back to Nat. I caught up with Bruce and Tony, hopping into the backseat of the convertible.
        "What was that all about?" Bruce asked.
        "Nothing." I said with a smile.
        "What did Loki say to you?" Tony asked. I stiffened slightly, but recovered quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice.
        "Stuff. When are we getting to the tower?" I asked quickly, changing the subject.
        "it'll only be about five minuets, give or take."
        "Give or take what?"
        "If I obey traffic laws." He says with a smirk. I groan, and we take off.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Tony's POV


        "What are you doing?" Bruce asks me as he looks over my shoulder at the computer screen.
        "Nothing really, just hacking into the security cameras in central park." I say. I hear Bruce groan behind me.
        "Sophie told you not to bother with it at dinner, and we both know that she wont hesitate in burning your eyebrows off like she threatened." I roll my eyes.
        "Come on Brucie, you know you are just as curious as I am." I say as I finish breaking in. It had taken me less than three minuets. I hear him walk away.
        "Oh no, I'm not going to put myself in the fire this time. Just tell me when you are done invading peoples privacy so we can work on this." He said, motioning to the project we had started. I rewound to the correct time, and found a camera that was in the perfect place to see them, considering they were standing right next to the light pole it was on. My eyes widened as I watched, and my jaw dropped. There was no sound, but I would have Jarvis run a lip reading scan on the video in a few minuets...... after Bruce watched.
        "Bruce, get over here and watch this." I said. Something in my tone must have made him curious, so he came over, and I replayed the video for him. His reaction mimicked my own.
        "Do you think she's..." He trailed off, but I understood what he meant.
        "No. Look at her reaction. This is brand new to her."
        "Should we tell the others?" Bruce asks.
        "No. Don't even tell her that we know yet." I said. "Jarvis?"
        "Yes sir?"
        "Run the lip reading program on this video. Alert me when you finish."
        "Yes sir."