Shattered Hearts ◇ L. Laufeyson

18 ◇ baby

Avengers Compound - Upstate New York

LOKI AND I landed in the front lawn around 4pm, and even before we stepped foot onto the grass I felt his hand grab mine and deliver a tight squeeze.

"Nervous?" I asked him, trying not to sound sassy.  Still, I found it rather adorable whenever Loki got a bit flustered with the people I called family.  It was adorable— and not the normal, to see a literal god get nervous.

"Never nervous, my dear," he shrugged, though he kept my hand in his grip.  With my other hand, I reached up and patted the side of his arm.

"We're all on the same team now," I told him, smiling a bit.

"Of course, in fact, they've really...well, we've all come a long way in the past few years," Loki replied, his words sounding almost cautious as he ended his sentence.

The past few years, he had said. Of course.
The past few years that I've missed. I keep forgetting that little detail. Loki must have become more of a team player while I was gone. It made sense.  While I was truly happy the others had, as he said, come a long enough way to really see Loki as an ally, I couldn't help but be sad I missed it.

"Don't," Loki suddenly told me, reading my disappointed facial expression. "I know what you're thinking. And it's alright."

I sighed, but didn't say anything else.

As we wandered inside, Loki leaned towards my ear. "It's like you said, we're here now."

I forced a smile and tried to remain positive. All we had was one more mission before Loki and I could really settle down and make up for the years lost.

We traversed into the Compound, nearing the larger hangar where our biggest equipment was stored.  Familiar voices echoed along the cement and glass corridors; but one stuck out louder than the others.

Bruce.

I couldn't help but feel giddy, excited, as a warmth spread through my system.  I didn't even realize how much I've missed him, and oh— it's been five years, has he changed?  Is he okay?  I wondered how the past years have weathered him— is he showing his age, has he been able to control Hulk, is he the same old Bruce I've been used to?

My feet started to move faster, and I tugged my hand out of Loki's.  He called after me, saying something, but I didn't pay attention.  I was too busy trying to rush into the lab as soon as I could.

"Bruce?" I called out, my voice ringing through the hall. "Bruce!"

From farther away, I could hear him questioning the others. "Is that... Y/N?"

I skidded around the corner, now almost in a full sprint, and searched for his face within the huge hangar.  Behind me, Loki was still calling after me, "Uhm, Y/N, you should know—"

"Y/N!" Bruce calling my name finally showed me exactly where he was, and my eyes landed on...

Hulk?

Immediately my feet skirted to a stop and I almost tripped over myself.  There, in front of me, Hulk stood in clothes and glasses...?

"...Bruce?" I managed to sputter out, while I felt Loki's hands grasp my shoulders with a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, that," he mumbled in my ear, pushing me forwards a bit.

Bruce met me halfway, his steps loud and heavy against the floor in comparison to my quick, light-on-my-feet movements.  Still, he scooped me up in a hug after he took in the sight of me, his massive hands gripping my shoulders.