A Child of Mischief (Loki/Avengers story)

36. Payback or Revenge

As Cora exhaustedly sleeps, she feels fingers lightly stroke her cheek. The sensation of the fingers against her cheek makes her shoot up and become alert.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Loki quietly says as Cora looks at him. Looking around Cora see's the only light on is the lamp on the table next to the bed.

"What time is it?" Cora mindlessly asks as she tries to determine the time by how dark it is outside.

"Probably somewhere around three or four in the morning." Loki says as he looks out the window at the clear black sky.

"Sounds about right." Cora says as she looks from the window and down at her hands. Loki looks from the window and back to Cora as he can hear uncertainty in her voice.

"What's the matter?" Loki asks, Cora shakes her head to try and ignore the subject. Loki tries to move his hands closer to Cora, but is stopped by the restraints. He looks down and starts to move his hands around to try and get free of the restraints. Before Loki can do any type of damage to himself, Cora stares at the leather straps and nods her head ever so slightly, the restraints open and fall from Loki's wrists. Sitting up from the bed, Loki takes both of Cora's hands in his.

"I think Thor might send me home." Cora says as she tries to keep herself composed. Loki let's go of Cora's hands and pulls her to him, hugging her.

"Why in Odin's name would he do something like that?" Loki asks as he strokes Cora's hair. Cora takes a few deep breaths to keep herself calm before answering.

"I may have said and did something's after you teleported us to the infirmary." Cora says as she buries her face in Loki's shoulder.

"Believe me, I know. I heard everything." Loki says, Cora pulls away and looks at him with shocked fear filled eyes.

"You... you heard everything?" Cora asks stunned. Loki nods, and brings one of his hands up and rests it on Cora's cheek.

"Your coming to terms with everything and you haven't been given the proper space to accept or adjust to what all has come to light." Loki says as he strokes Cora's cheek with his thumb.

"It seems to everyone around here that, giving me space isn't an option. Considering how someone is always close by watching every move I make." Cora says as she keeps her eyes down on her lap.

"Thor won't get the chance to send you back home, I will not allow it." Loki says and pulls Cora into another hug.

"Why does he have to make things so difficult? Every time I want to try and understand something, he's always right there, with an excuse or a lie." Cora says, Loki shakes his head and looks out the window.

"One thing you had said in particular to Thor earlier, you were right about. That day just before I attacked the Avengers, while I was under Thanos's control. And you had teleported close to the cell I was in, I did see you and immediately I knew who you were. But, as you said, my mind was so clouded by Thanos, that I couldn't bring myself to fully grasp what was happening." Loki says, Cora pulls away and looks at him with wide eyes.

"If your mind hadn't been controlled by Thanos and the Tesseract, what would you have done?" Cora asks, as she keeps her gaze down.

"I wouldn't have simply just taken you. If that's what your asking. How things went from that day to now, other than the battle that nearly killed you on your second day. I wouldn't have changed any of it. All of the events leading up to now, had to happen the way they did, regardless of if we wanted them to happen or not." Loki says and pulls Cora back into a hug.

"Well, it seems your feeling better." Dagny says startling Cora, who jumps lightly. Loki let's go of Cora and looks at Dagny, Cora turns her head and also looks at Dagny.