Shatter Me (LokixReader)

Chapter 1

Silence. Absolute silence. Not even the rustling of leaves in the wind or the chirping of a bird can be heard. It is about four in the morning, and I enjoy the time when nothing and no one disturbs my inner peace. Inner peace, a state that seemed almost unattainable for me just three years ago.

The steady, almost inaudible sound of my lunging footsteps on the soft forest floor is strangely hypnotic. Like a heartbeat, the heartbeat of the forest. A smile comes to my lips as I ponder the metaphorical meaning of this thought.

Actually, I'm not one of those people who are up before sunrise, however, sometimes I just need that calmness that only comes before the first rays of the morning light announce the new day by immersing everything in a golden light.

This precious moment, which is almost magical, is something very special and is definitely worth getting up a little earlier every now and then. Even though Steve makes his disapproval of my early morning disappearances clear every time, I sometimes just can't resist the cool, clean morning air.

At times I'm still amazed at how fast New York has recovered from the Attack of the Chitauri, lead by that dark-haired and somewhat good-looking god that is currently under arrest somewhere in the Avengers tower. Eventhough I have tried to, I have not managed to get a peak at him. Not even once in all those months. I don't even know where exactly he is in the expansive tower.

I stop at a small lake. Above the treetops, the sky is just turning from a deep blue to bright orange. Various shades of purple make the scattered clouds look as if they have been painted, and when the sun finally rises as a fire-like ball above the trees, I can't take my eyes off it. The spectacle is short but beautiful.

I hold on to the moment, memorizing the outline of the trees, which look almost black in the light, and the interplay of colours in the sky. The way the sun is reflected on the mirror-like surface of the water is simply too beautiful to forget.

When the sky finally slowly loses its colourful hues, I start moving again. The first birds start chirping, and it won't be long before the first people show up here. Exhausted but happy, I finally arrive at the Avengers Tower, tracing my eyes up its mirroring facade, my thoughts yet again wandering off to the prisoner that is locked away somewhere inside there.

I don't know when I have become so curious about the god that nearly destroyed New York, but I think the Secrecy about the whole topic and the fact that literally anyone but me is involved in some way is part of the reason for my growing curiosity. Everytime I walk into a room and it suddenly gets quiet I know what was being discussed before I barged in. I somehow feel left out.

As the lift carries me towards my quarters, I lean my forehead against the cool wall and close my eyes for a moment. The lift stops, and I open my eyes again, wait for the door to finally open, and find myself facing a not very enthusiastic-looking Steve. I feel the resignation radiating off of him.

I smile innocently at him as I try to slip past him. I don't know why I even try. Before I can successfully slip past him, he reaches for my wrist and spins me around. "You know it's not safe."

His serious look makes me sigh softly, and I take a step toward him. "Steve, I need this. I've barely left this building in three years. I need air to breathe. I need space." He runs a hand through his blond hair. "I know. Still, We don't want to put other people in danger, do we?." I know he's right, and he knows it too.

"Training at ten?" He finally asks conciliatorily. Grinning, I accept his peace offering, turn and jog down the corridor that leads to my quarters. Normally, our training starts punctually at eight. With a glance at the clock, I realize that it is only six. I set my alarm for half-past nine before I disappear into my bathroom and take a quick shower.