Stars Have Fallen - A Loki Love Story (Marvel/Avengers)

12

Before the tension between the demigods could grow any further, Estrial's bedroom door opened. She stood smally in the door frame, chin tipped back to look up at their faces. Feeling the stress between them slap her hard across the face, she drew her eyebrows down in worry. "Please do not fight," she begged shyly.

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. He felt all anger at his brother dissolve into a neutral feeling. "Of course," he assured with a forced, gentle smile.

Thor looked down at the bundle in Estrial's hands. He gave her a grin and offered, "allow me to take that for you." The fallen star handed him the suit and watched as he left to give it to Tony.

Once Thor was out of sight, Estrial turned to Loki again. He was still staring off to where his brother had disappeared around a corner. She narrowed her eyes as she read his emotions aloud, "you are frustrated."

"Yes, well," Loki sighed, smirking, "he is a frustrating person, sometimes."

But the deeper Estrial dug into his feelings, the more truth she could find. Shaking her head, she clarified, "you are frustrated....with yourself."

Loki's heart leapt. "Damn," he chuckled, looking down at his feet, "you really can see it all, can't you." His vibrant, blue-green eyes landed on Estrial; they were alive with soft emotions that made her feel more than comfortable in his presence. "May I come in?" He asked in a charming voice, gesturing in to Estrial's room.

The star nodded and walked back into the room. Her lights were dimmed so that she could see herself clearly, but also see the room. Loki left her door cracked open a few inches.

"Why are you frustrated?" Estrial wondered as she took a seat on the foot of her bed.

Loki grabbed one of the two light gray armchairs that were in the room and swung it around to face Estrial. He sat down in it eligantly, crossing one leg over the other. He met the star's eyes, level with his own, and shook his head slightly. "I don't know," he told her with a small grin, hoping she couldn't sense his small lie.

"Loki," Estrial spoke his name smoothly, cocking her head to the side. "Talk to me," she urged him gently, a smile of memory stretching her lips, "the way you used to."

The demigod let out a nervous laugh. "Heh, well," he began to explain, "that was easier..when you didn't talk back."

Estrial smiled innocently. "I did," she corrected, "but you did not hear."

Again, Loki let out a soft laugh. "Now, that's just embarrassing," he admitted, adverting his gaze. Recovering from his nervousness, he quickly changed the subject. He wasn't quite used to talking about himself so openly again yet. So, he hoped that Estrial would. "What about you?" He asked, "you know my story...what's yours?"

"My..story..?" Estrial repeated in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? And why did Loki suddenly want to know her so deeply.

Loki sighed in relaxation, leaning back in the comfy chair. He gave her an observant smile. "Tell me about yourself," he prompted, "please; I'm curious." When an overwhelmed look crossed Estrial's face, Loki decided to ask a more specific question. "Why did you leave the galaxies?"

Estrial blinked a few times. It took her a moment to find a way to speak her answer. "It was too quiet..too calm...too peaceful," she responded, earning a very interested look from Loki.

Leaning forward a bit, Loki uncrossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees. There was a crooked grin on his thin lips. "Go on," he cooed.

"I wanted more adventure," she spoke more confidently, "I wanted to know what it was like to live."

Loki grinned wider, overjoyed at hearing how similar Estrial was to him. They shared the same need for excitement. Even though Estrial was obviously more hesitant than Loki, they both had a passion for new experiences. But what Estrial said next made his smile diminish.

"I tried to go to you," she went on slowly, "but I got lost. I floated...alone....too long.....until I found you again." There was a look of sorrow in her eyes, and the silver of her irises quivered like the moons reflection in a river. "I see in you, what you have become," she whispered, "and I am sorry."

Loki frowned, eyebrows drawn in with concern. "Don't apologize," he asserted in a low voice. He let out a dry laugh as if to tease himself, "it's not your fault I've become such a monster."

Estrial's eyebrows shot up in surprise; that wasn't what she'd meant at all. "Not a monster," she clarified quietly, "I meant confused, angry..frustrated."

Loki smiled in amusement. "I suppose what I became was a confused, angry, frustrated monster, then," he summed up. "I don't need to remind you," he spoke matter-of-factly, "there is a reason I was imprisoned here, and locked out of Asgard."

Estrial leaned forward, mimicking Loki's position with her elbows on her knees. "I do not lie, Loki," she insisted, voice just as gentle as always. Loki swallowed hard, wondering why hearing this was so intense to him. Estrial looked back to his eyes, pointing at him in a small motion, and affirmed, "not a bad guy."

And this simple sentence sent his mind into a violent rollercoaster of confliction. He'd been the 'bad guy' for so long, and he'd come to accept it, even embrace it. It had become comfortable, knowing exactly what he was. But now, here he was, being told by a higher being that he was no such thing. It brought about discomfort in that he could no longer decipher if he were good or bad, right or wrong. Yet it made his cold heart grow warmer.