Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 122

It's been a week.

There's still been no sign of Loki.

FRIDAY keeps them updated when she hears Loki open his door, though it only seems to happen when Steve sets food outside his room. Otherwise, his room is eerily silent. Steve is the only person who even tries to talk to him, and even then, it's no more than a sentence or two before he leaves. He hasn't given up, exactly, but at the same time...

It's lunchtime, and, to add some variety to Loki's diet, Steve makes him a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. He scoops out a bowl of ice cream, just to cheer him up a little, and he washes a nice bowl of strawberries, too, in case he's in the mood for something healthy. He grabs a water bottle from the fridge, and then he's off to Loki's room.

Snowflake is lying on the floor by the door. She spends a lot of time there. Admittedly, Steve's never been Snowflake's biggest fan – certainly not to the level that Loki and Pepper are; he's been mostly ambivalent about her – but every time he sees her here, he feels a pang of sympathy. She doesn't know what's going on. She doesn't know why Loki's ignoring her. The poor thing just wants her owner back.

He brought a table out for Loki the other day. At the moment, it has Loki's empty dishes from breakfast on it. Steve puts them on the floor to make room for lunch. Snowflake raises her head to watch him, then puts her head back down on the floor.

"Hi, cutie." Steve crouches down and rubs her stomach. She doesn't seem interested.

He stands up and knocks on the door. "Hey, Loki," he says. "I brought you some grilled cheese, strawberries, and ice cream. It's on the table out here for you."

As expected, he's met with silence.

"It's been quiet without you," Steve tells him.

It's quiet with him, too.

"Snowflake really misses you," Steve adds. "I don't know if you've noticed her sitting out here. She's been waiting for you."

He knows even before he says it that he's not going to get a response. It doesn't make it any easier. With a sigh, he sits down on the floor, his back resting against the wall. Snowflake crawls in front of him so that he can pet her. She definitely does it for her own gain, but it makes him feel better, too.

"I'm worried about you, Loki," Steve says. "We all are. It's not the same without you. And I know what Wanda did wasn't okay and I get it if you don't want to see her, but you can at least talk to me. You know that, right? I'm still here for you."

It's silent from within the room, not so much as a quiet squeak of the bed revealing his presence. There never is.

"Come back out soon, okay?" Steve asks. "Even just for a few minutes. I just want to know that you're okay."

When he's met with silence once more, he sighs. He knew it wouldn't work, but deep down, he'd had a little hope. It seems it was misplaced. He gives Snowflake one last head scratch, then stands up again.

"Enjoy your lunch," he says, a false cheerfulness to his voice that he's sure Loki can see right through. "Don't let the ice cream melt on you."

Without much other option, he leaves Loki alone after that. He'll come back with dinner in a few hours, but he probably won't stick around to talk. He knows he's not going to get anywhere with it. Loki's not coming out soon, and, deep down, he knows that. He's going to be waiting a long time to see him again.

~~~

"You look like somebody kicked your puppy."

Steve looks up from the kitchen table, his head resting on his hand. His sadness doesn't disappear, but there is suddenly a general air of annoyance about him that Tony is more than happy to take credit for.