The Fates' Favorite (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 27

I was surprised when I felt hands on me, one holding gently around my waist as the other laid underneath my head, bending across my chest to hold my arm.

But, I also immediately knew who the cool body against my back was, making me settle further into the comfort.

"You came back." I mumbled as I closed my eyes again.

"We discussed this last night, love. It was never a question that I would return."

Last night? Oh, damn.

"Oh." I immediately opened my eyes once again. "I'm sorry, I don't know wh-"

Loki was immediately shushing me, his cool breath hitting my ear as he nuzzled downward.

"Trust that I enjoyed your excitement at my return, darling." He softly explained. "And I promise to only tease you slightly over your condition last evening."

A small 'humph' escaped my lips as I feigned offense, making him chuckle ever lightly against me.

"Oh, come now. You adore my teasing."

"Towards Thor, not me." I grumbled.

His hand moved only slightly, running softly against the skin of my arm as he hummed.

"You're being awfully affectionate this morning, Trickster. You okay?"

The way that halted his hand made me instantly regret my words. I didn't want it to stop, I was just curious.

In all honesty, I relished in the touch. I wrote it off as being due to my touch-starved life previously, but Loki's touch was just that much different to anyone else's. The way his body was a constant cool, making laying against him a delightful feeling rather than an overheated misery, or the way his muscles would flex against me just enough to feel secure without being uncomfortably squeezed.

"I didn't realize it was a prob-"

"It's not!" I quickly flipped around to say, ignoring the sting it brought to my side. "I just... You're okay, right? Everything is okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, darling. I'm not the one who broke half my ribs." He responded dryly.

"It was a minor incident." I mumbled. "I figured it'd heal up by now."

Loki smiled sympathetically, "Thor and I were once in a battle on Vanaheim. We were fighting this wretched sea creature, Hafgufa, after it swallowed one of the Allfather's ships whole." He started slowly. "During the battle, I was thrown from the ship and landed upon a rock not far below the sea level. It broke several of my ribs, which I was unable to heal myself as it would've left me defenseless given that I was young, likely the equivalent of a preteen here on Midgard, and I was already using magic to control the waves before it capsized the rest of the fleet."

The look of suprise as well as the complete enthrallment in the story made Loki stop briefly to chuckle.

"In short, after we defeated the beast I was hardly able to move for several days, until we reached the shores where my mother could heal me." He stated softly. "Even the quickest of the advanced healers must wait some time for such complicated injuries."

"Have you always had magic?" I questioned now, honestly stunned that he had so much control and strength as a warrior at such a young age.

"Beings of any realm either have magic or don't; it's simply a matter of whether or not they manage to tap into it, and how strong the magic is."

"Huh." I hummed back.

"I assume you tapped into your magic at a young age. That is what that organization wanted with you, correct?"

I smiled with a small nod. "From the time I could remember anything, I was always playing with shadows. I remember once, I wanted to go to school and show my friends what I could do, even though my parents had thoroughly told me not to." I paused at the memory, squinting my eyes as I remembered it more vividly, "Y'know what? That was the first time I heard the voices, actually."

"Wait... They didn't start after Hydra?"

I sighed at the question. In honesty, it seemed less embarrassing for the voices to be a byproduct of Hydra. I wouldn't be the first one mentally fractured by the organization, and at least then I would have had a known cause. Unfortunately, that simply wasn't my situation.

I laughed a bit, though it came out far more bitter than I had intended. "No, I've always been slightly schizophrenic, I suppose."

"Schizophrenic?"

"Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that, under some circumstances, can cause hallucinations or delusions." I explained. "I guess that doesn't occur in Asgardians?"

"I've seen my fair share of mental illness, darling, but never that."

I shrugged, "Must be something that's strictly for us peasantry mortal folk."

"Do you genuinely believe you have such a disorder?" Loki asked. "I... Don't think you do."

"Well what other explanation do you have for auditory hallucinations?" I thought for a moment, as did Loki. "I believe they can be a symptom of PTSD as well, but nothing happened that would've warranted me having it when the voices first began."

"Where did you even learn all this?" Loki questioned, almost finding it comical that I knew any of the information that fell from my tongue.

I shrugged. "I like to read. During missions, my go-to disguise or alias was a college student, because it gave me an excuse to read crime novels or textbooks. That and no one ever suspects the school-girl."

Loki nodded slowly, not quite sure how to react.

"Y'know... The other day with your mom, it's not that I was trying to be rude. I just.... I've never talked about the voices before."

"I know, darling. You were perfectly polite given the circumstances. Even if you were fibbing about your joy to meet her." He was teasing the last bit, scrunching his nose slightly with a smirk.

"I should probably apologize next time I see her." I cringed. "She probably thinks I'm an emotional buffoon."

"Never fret, darling. She liked you."

"Why would she like me? I certainly wouldn't have." I grumbled.

"She likes you because I like you. And, believe or not, I'm not overly fond of people, mortal or otherwise."

That caused a small giggle to escape my lips, making Loki perk at the sound.

"You like me, huh?" I teased. "Wow, I can't believe it. Of all people, I got the broody prince of Asgard to like me." I faked a swoon which seemed to take it step too far for Loki, who lightly flicked my nose in response.

"Oh, stop that childishness." He had said, though I could swear his cheeks had managed to turn just a slight shade of pink.