The Rise to Heroism {Loki Laufeyson} Book One

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Jesus, I'm in Denver for one day and I miss all of the fun!" Tony exclaims.

We sit in a hotel just a few blocks from Stark Towers. The place was completely destroyed on the inside from the fight. The furniture is torn apart, glass everywhere from the Big Bang when I lashed out at Hel, and with the pillars smashed, the roof caved in, just adding to the chaos. The place is uninhabitable for the time being.

"I don't know if I'd call it 'fun.'" I mutter. Thor reaches for my hand and squeezes it. I look at him and smile half-heartedly. I don't have enough energy to do anything else at this point.

It's been a week since the big battle against Hel. She still hasn't turned up, but neither has Loki. After comforting me, he left. Just like that, without a kiss, without a goodbye - he just turned and walked away casually. Part of me hopes that he will not return, that the longer he's gone, the less time it will take to get over these past few months of horror and chaos and move on with my life, be normal again. But the dominant part of me desperately wants him back, believes that he will come back and that he's only trying to distance himself from me so that nothing like that ever happens again - that it's only temporary until he can kill Hel and return to me. It angers me though - I'm in this with him and he needs to understand that. After all we've been through, you'd think that he'd be okay with that by now, but no. He will never be happy unless I'm safe, but being safe doesn't necessarily mean that I will be happy - not unless he's safe with me.

"Well, I'm tired. Goodnight everyone." I stand, leaving the suite, closing the door on my way out. Once in the hallway, I take a breather, leaning against the wall that separates my suite from Tony and Peppers. My heart aches, my body draining. I can't take it anymore. I just want him back.

Tony told me that I would get over this longing in about a week or two, but it's only strengthed with time. Stupid billionaire - all the money in the world, yet he still can't figure out the intense feelings of a seventeen year old girl.

Finally, I pad over to my room, feeling sorry for myself. I order room service, requesting a bottle of wine and a whole pizza. It's just TV and junk food for me tonight, I have no motivation to do anything else but that - I've been doing it for the past week, just... waiting. And waiting... and waiting.

Frozen is on demand, so I turn that on, settling down in my bed and starting in on the wine. Normally, I wouldn't be able to order liquor - let alone drink it - but Tony slipped the chef a fifty and convinced him to give me whatever I wanted, saying that Aunt Flow was in town and she was being an extreme bitch to me. I never understood the period reference until I left his room that night, storming back in and taking him down a peg. But, it worked, which results in me chugging the bottle of red in under an hour, devouring the pizza.

I dose off around the time that Anna tries to confront Elsa for the first time after her accident, dreaming of snowmonsters chasing me around the halls of Stark Towers as it begins to collapse over me, when suddenly, I'm woken by the click of the door, followed by footsteps.

"I understand why you're acting so indifferent." Thor. I fully wake up when he flicks on the lights, my eyes adjusting. As I prop myself up on one elbow in my bed, I peer at him through the haze of my drunkeness. His blue eyes pierce mine in a sympathetic manner, taking in my appearance as I take in his. His blonde hair hangs in long strands that brush his shoulder pads. Stubble protrudes from his jawline, making him look more rugged than usual.

"I'm not indifferent." I say, my tone monotonous, yet slurred.

"You may not see it, but we do. Rebecca -"

"My name is Becca, Okay?! Becca, for f**ks sake!" I yell, cursing. I know I should feel guilty, but I feel awesome, powerful. Jesus, I am so drunk I don't even have a filter on what comes out of my mouth.

Thor sighs, his expression understanding, yet hurtful. "Becca," He corrects himself. "he will come back. He just needs time."

"He needs time? What about me? What about what I want?" I ask, my pitch rising. I sit up, raging. "Maybe I need something! Maybe I just want someone to hold me and assure me that everything is okay when we both know that it most certainly is not!" The tears pour down my cheeks and I wipe at them furiously, sniffing. Thor rushes over to me, cradling me in his strong arms. We sit there in silence for a long time before it becomes too much for me to bear.

"Thor?" I ask hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"Is what Loki said true?"

"What did he say?"

"That I was the girl you loved..." I trail off as he pulls away, turning. He clenches and unclenches his fists before answering. "Yes." He says shortly. My heart breaks. I love him, but in a different way.

"Thor, I'm so sorry-"

"But you love Loki?" He faces me again. His blue eyes are glossy, or maybe that's just the drunken haze over my vision. I nod.

"I know. He deserves a woman as beautiful, cunning and perfect as you are." He smiles warmly, holding a twinge of sadness.

Snorting, I roll my eyes. "As if I'm perfect - I'm pretty f**king far from it."

"No, you don't see it, but I do. You're perfect to me - most likely flawless to Loki. Becca, you mean the world to all of us - Tony, Steven, Pepper, Loki, me. If something ever happened to you, we wouldn't be able to function." He assures me.

I stop. "Do you really mean that?"

"How could I not? You are everything I've ever wanted. Loki's a lucky man." He whispers. I take his hand in mine.

"I may love Loki, but I love you too." I say and decide - in my drunken mind - that I should kiss him to make him feel loved and appreciated, so I do. I lean in to kiss him. He wraps his arms around my small frame, pressing me against him. I pull away, opening my eyes to the biggest smile I've ever seen.

"Thank you." He laughs airily.

I smile, hugging him. "No, thank you." Jesus, I am such a tease. I should just stop drinking.

"Becca?"

"Yes?" I ask sweetly, content with the right version of my name.

"He'll be back. He would never leave you for no reason. You've come too far for him to betray you like that." Thor promises against the crown of my head.

My heart sinks. "I hope you're right..." I mumble into his shoulder, the ache in my heart returning.

(One more chapter and then an epilogue! Enjoy!)