Loki one-shots fanfiction ♡

26. a scar time failed to heal

After Thanos' decapitation the number of things that intimidated Loki could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Still just because Loki was barely afraid of anything did not mean he was afraid of nothing. The funniest of all; Loki and one-of-the-very-few-things-that-scared-him ended up under the same roof.

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He stood casually, waiting for the elevator. It wasn't that he complained about having his room on the twentieth floor (Loki knew he was in no position to be picky; it took Thor a lot of sweet talk to convince Tony into agreeing to let the God of Mischief stay with them in the Avengers tower - Thor was never the one with silver tongue, but Loki was told to 'shut the hell up' and keep his head low as his brother went to negotiate with Iron Man)

The only slight problem was the height. Loki wasn't much a fan of height since Bifrost incident, but he could live with it. Really. It wasn't a big deal. All he had to do was draw the curtains close and have them remained that way at all time. Then he wouldn't have to look at the open sky (the void) or how much of a Long Way Down it would be, if he were to fall (he wasn't going to fall. Not anymore)
But really. Loki could live with this. He didn't have to run anymore.

The elevator door opened, and Loki unconsciously held his breath. His face pale and his throat felt dry. Suddenly he had the strong urge to turn around and run and never look back. Instead he was froze on the spot, couldn't even blink.

"You coming in?" Bruce asked, finger (not green. He wasn't currently green; the Other Guy sleeping somewhere inside him) pressed on the button to hold the door open.

Bruce looked confused by the way Loki was looking at him (like he was looking at a ghost) though he couldn't say he was completely clueless about the reason why Loki always avoided him and refused to admit he was doing it. Doctor Banner wasn't really in control of himself when the Other Guy took the wheel, but there were bits and pieces in his head, his memories, and he could tell what the green friend did to Loki, back in 2012, wasn't pleasant.

"I -" Loki gulped, no other words left his mouth for his brain couldn't think of any. Couldn't function fully. He still had dreams, nightmares about bones cracking in his body as Hulk slammed him against the floor like a rag doll.
Hulk wasn't here, Loki tried to comfort himself, Bruce Banner was no threat; he was only a harmless mortal, and Loki would rather be skinned alive than to confess his uneasiness, his weakness, by walking away.

He forced himself to enter the elevator. It wasn't until the door slid close that Loki came to full realization; he was utterly alone with Hulk (no, not Hulk. Bruce Banner) in a small space.

Awkward was an understatement. Loki's eyes glued tight to the red digital number above him, his hands held together at his front, as he stood with as much space as he could keep between him and Bruce.

Too slow, Loki thought impatiently, the elevator's going too slow. He just wanted to crawl at the door. Instead he stood extremely still that Bruce, who glanced at him sideway, doubted he was even breathing.

"It's a... beautiful day," Bruce said, breaking the silence that was sharper than a knife it could cut. "Nice weather," he tried a light topic, but even so he couldn't help but notice the way Loki flinched the second he spoke.

"Indeed." Loki said. Just one word. Without so much as looking at his company, his smile didn't reach his eyes, a drop of sweat rolled down his temple. He was nervous, that was obvious.

Then silence came crawling back, devouring both of them alive it felt as though they were running out of air. Loki started to become impatient with his intense stare never left the number; 7 and then 8 it almost looked like he was never going to reach his floor.