Imprisoned

Ch.23-What We Were-

-Sarah-

"Hello Loki." He abruptly turns to me with a stone-cold expression.

"I thought you left." He states blandly, disappointed. I sigh.

"Well, I haven't" Loki scowls.

"Sadly." he retorts. That does it. I storm my way to the glass, raging.

"I am so sick of you acting as if nothing happened between us! Like none of it meant anything to you! Because I know it did!" I scold. His expression doesn't falter. "...at least I hope it did because it meant something to me." I start to get emotional. Oh god Sarah, keep it together! "You've let me in these past months, I've seen sides of you I believe no one else has ever seen. Loki, you think that showing emotion, let alone having emotions, is a weakness. I tried so hard to show you that it made you stronger. Then we got here and it all disappeared." I can feel the tears well up in my eyes, I don't even bother to hold them back anymore. "Your kindness, your compassion, your heart, it all vanished. I don't understand why or when, but you've changed. And I want to believe so badly that this isn't real, that this is just some sick joke you're playing on me, a nightmare, anything, and I'll wake up, you'll give up the tesseract and we can be together. But I know I am just foolish to believe that." There is a long pause before anyone speaks as I just stare into his empty eyes.

"You're right..." Loki starts, "You are foolish." He refuses to meet my gaze. I sharply inhale.

"Well congratulations Loki, because you just broke my heart," "I love you and you broke my heart." I finally admit my feelings to him, it's not how I imagined it, not nearly. "I'm leaving. You obviously don't want me here. I have no reason to stay now." I wipe the tears from my face in an attempt to compose myself and start to walk away. Loki watches me closely but says nothing. "Goodbye Loki."

-Loki-

What am I doing? Why am I letting her walk out? Why am I letting the best thing that ever happened to me just leave? Something has come over me. I don't seem to have full control over myself anymore. It's as if there is something in my mind twisting my words and my thoughts. I've only felt this one other time...Thanos. His mind control was unrelenting, that on top of the torture I endured was a feeling I can never forget, a feeling similar to the one now. I don't feel the pain, but there is that familiar presence in my mind plaguing my thoughts. I must break free.

You are free, without that worthless mortal.

She's not worthless, she's worth everything and more.

She is just a speed bump on the road to your future. Nothing more.

No!

Yes.

My head hurts, my thoughts are contradicting each other and my brain is spinning. What's wrong? What's right? I can't make sense of anything anymore. The only thing I know for sure is that I can't let Sarah leave, I need her, I need her more than I need power, more than I need the tesseract. I can't lose her.

Finally, the presence in the back of my mind retreats and I come back to my senses.

-Sarah-

I frantically pack some clothes into a bag I found in the closet, crying. My everything hurts. My head, my body...my heart. I love him and he doesn't care. He was right, I am a fool. I fell in love with him and thought the better of him when there was no reason to see good. That's not true, there is so much good in him. Ugh! God damn it! What were we if it all meant nothing?

"Sarah." I jump as I hear a far too familiar voice behind me. I turn around in shock as I see Loki standing before me, his face laced with guilt and worry.