My Allegiance (3)

Chapter 24

(Avengers' Tower, Y/n's POV)

We eventually find the kitchen and, after lots and lots of nagging, he's agreed to read me a poem. But as a compromise, he said it has to wait until a bit later.

I apparently have to earn it. I don't exactly know how, but I can guarantee that whatever I agree to do for him won't be what he actually wants me to do for him. His thoughts are loud and clear.

"I don't know what to make," I say as I look into the fridge.

"You really didn't plan ahead, did you?"

"Well I can't say I was expecting to be benched, so I was thinking about our next steps in the plan rather than whether to make a stew or a casserole."

"Are those the only options? Can we be modern and use a telephone to order food?"

"First of all, if you're calling it a telephone then you're not modern. Second of all, no we can't because the whole point of this is to take my mind off the fact that I'm being treated like a kid."

"It's not working very well is it? You seem to keep talking about it."

"And you're not helping to take my mind off it."

"Just say the word," I look over at him and he's smirking again. I don't even have to read his mind to know what he's thinking about.

"What has gotten into you?" I shake my head as I focus back on the fridge.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Your thoughts are louder than the Hulk's footsteps."

"Stay out of my head and you won't have to listen to it."

"Is that what this is? You know I'm in your head so you're thinking about this stuff on purpose?"

He shrugs, "Maybe a little. Or maybe not at all and this is how I really feel."

I hold my breath as he walks over and stands behind me.

"I wish I could read your mind. I think it's unfair you know what I think, what I feel, and I have no idea about you."

"That's a shame for you," I keep my eyes facing forwards.

"Just tell me."

"Well, for starters, I'm wondering how old you are."

He steps back with a laugh. "Really? That's the first thing on your mind?"

"Maybe not the first thing, but I've definitely thought about it a couple of times," I say as I turn to finally face him.

"Then I'm going to have to disappoint you. Truth be told, I stopped counting."

"Not exactly something to be proud of but alright."

"I know. But an Asgardian can live for about 5000 years."

"But you're not Asgardian."

"This is true. The Jotuns also have an incredibly long life span."

"Of.....?"

He sighs, "Even longer than Asgardians. It seems as though a certain point hits in our lives, and we stop ageing in the sense that our appearances stop changing. We stop physically getting older."

"So you could be almost 5000 years old?"

"I'd estimate that I'm 1500 years old, at the oldest."

I laugh nervously, "Is that all?"

"I know it seems like a lot, but it's very normal in Asgard."

"No I get it, like that's just what your people are like. It's just a strange concept to understand for someone who's life expectancy is about 90 years."

"Is my age the only thing on your mind, or is there something deeper than that?"

"Is there something in particular you're hoping to hear?" I shut the fridge door as the thing starts to beep at me from being open for too long.

"Look y/n, you know exactly how I feel."

"I wouldn't say that. You seem to have a one track mind so I can't tell what's genuine and what's you just being you."

He rolls his eyes, "Besides that, you know my feelings for you. And I think you feel the same way, though of course I can't be sure. You're a very smart girl, and logically we make no sense whatsoever. I'm not asking for a confession of love or anything extreme like that, I'm just asking you this. Should I fight this? Or should I run with it?"

Loki always shows to me a side that he keeps hidden from everyone else. I get cheekiness, I get slyness, I get flirting. But I also get honesty, and a genuine side to him that very rarely comes to light. I feel as though I understand him in a way that no-one else does, and I also see that he cares about me more than anyone else does. But it's not a sympathy thing, he really just cares about me.

I never thought that, in a life like this, I would have the chance to find someone. But ever since I met him, there was something about him that clicked. So maybe this is that chance.

"Y/n? What do you think?"

A small smile creeps onto my face, "I say you should run with it."

He gives me a full, real smile, and takes a seat on a kitchen stool with his book open in front of him.

"Tenker på deg," he reads from the page. "Som alltid. Det er den vakreste. Bevegelse mitt sinn gjør. Min favoritt åpenbaring, Fredelig, hemmelig, Øynene mine faller i havet. Jeg håper du alltid vil være det Like nådeløs som havet."

"It's beautiful," I say quietly. "What does it mean?"

He clears his throat gently, preparing to translate it for me, "The chicken crossed the road. To get to the other side-"

"Loki."

His face seemed so serious, but it cracks into a grin, "Okay okay. This is what it really means. Thinking of you. As always. It’s the most beautiful movement my mind makes. My favourite apparition, peaceful, secret, my eyes fall into the ocean. I hope you will always be as relentless as the sea that stretches between us now."

My heart warms at the beautiful piece, "I love it."

He doesn't say his response out loud, but his thoughts are clear enough.

I love you.

So much for no confessions of love.