Come back to me (Loki x reader)

New York, 2012

Tony gave a countdown from three, and suddenly you were shrinking alongside the others at an incredible rate and flying through the quantum realm. You fought to control your breathing, hardly able to take in what your eyes were seeing, when suddenly the three separate groups split off, and you followed Steve after Scott and Tony. In a flash, you were full sized again, on the streets of New York.

You staggered, and Steve caught you, pulling you upright and pressing the button to uncover your face. You gasped for breath, managing to stand on your own two feet and looking around incredulously. The landscape was painstakingly familiar, although it had been eleven years since the events had unfolded and you had been there to fight alongside your friends against Loki, who you hadn't known was being controlled by Thanos back then. You immediately glanced up to Stark Tower where you knew Loki was right now, and you felt your heart ache. He was up there.

"Are you okay Y/N?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, thanks." You smiled at him, dusting yourself off. You were, in fact, the opposite of okay. You had just travelled back eleven years in time and were about to go and see the previously dead love of your life – not exactly a situation you would expect yourself to be chilled out about. A small part of you was hoping that you might be able to save Loki somehow, to prevent the events that wouldn't happen for another six years, but you also knew that that was hopeless. Your main mission was to get the tesseract back to the present day, but in the back of your mind a small plan was hatching, what if you could find a way to bring Loki back to your present?

But no, you had to remind yourself that 2012 Loki wasn't your Loki, he didn't love you... yet.

Tony had been talking, and now he touched your arm gently.

"Y/N." he said.

"Yes. I'm fine." You replied, forcing another smile.

"Remember, get the tesseract, and get straight out of there, okay? No detours." He reminded you.

"Got it, no detours." You nodded, making direct eye contact with him.

"Okay, let's go team." Steve said, and you ducked out into the street, knowing that you couldn't be seen. You watched Bruce begin to half-heartedly smash things up, and followed Steve, Tony and a tiny Scott Lang towards Stark Tower, your nerves racing.

When you got to the front entrance, Tony held everyone back.

"I'll wait in the lobby, Steve, you find the undercover Hydra agents, and Y/N head up to where we are and let us know when we're coming down the elevator. Got it?"

It was the most confusing thing anyone had ever said to you, but you thought you understood.

"See you in a bit." You said and darted towards the stairs.

When you reached the right floor, you snuck into the room and ducked behind the nearest pillar, so that you were hidden but could also watch what was going on. Your heart was thundering in your chest, not just from your run up a ridiculous number of stairs but from the fact that Loki was just over there. On the other side of the room from you. He was surrounded by the Avengers, including you, so that you couldn't see him yet.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

His voice carried across the room to where you were hiding, and the sound of it felt like a punch to the stomach. You stared across the room, your heart racing, but then were forced to hide again as 2012 Steve turned around and started talking about what to do next.

You listened as 2012 you conversed with the others (a very odd experience) and waited for you all to walk past into the elevator as you remembered. Resisting the urge to peek back around the pillar, you heard 2023 Tony's voice in your ear.