The Lost Asgardian (A Loki X Reader Story)

Part 11

"And then he stabbed me!" Thor's bellowing laughter met your ears and you gave him a slight smile, shifting your eyes beside you to Loki. The corners of his lips barely lifted as he continued to pick at his breakfast. He'd been quiet the whole morning, simply pulling you into a hug when you told him good morning.

You knew he was deep in thought about something from the dazed look in his eye and the way his brow was furrowed. You put your right hand on his knee under the table and squeezed it reassuringly. Loki tilted his head slightly to the side to meet your eyes, his hand moving to cover yours.

"If you'll excuse us, mother, father, there are things we must do to prepare for the anticipated arrival." King Odin nodded stiffly and Loki stood, holding your hand in his. You took the cue and followed Loki, waiting to speak until you'd stepped into the hall and the door shut behind you.

"Loki, what is it?" He turned towards you and you cupped his face with your left hand. He leaned into your touch, his eyes closing to savor the moment a bit longer.

"I feel incredibly selfish keeping you here. You mean more to me than all of Asgard, Y/N, and I would love for you to stay here, if that is what will make you happy." He moved your hand on his face to hold it in his. "But I know you have been separated from your family for far too long, and I would hate to hinder that reunion. Since your parents will be remaining in Asgard, it will be less painful to watch you depart and you could return to the palace whenever you wished."

Your voice was soft yet firm, "I wish you wouldn't keep your thoughts locked in that brilliant mind of yours. It's not selfish, the decision was mine and I stand by my choice. I don't know if I could bear being apart from you."

"And I, you." He brought his forehead down to rest against yours and you closed your eyes. You stood like that for a few moments before a voice interrupted you.

"Your majesty, Lady Clementia and Lord Saevitia have arrived. They are with King Odin and Queen Frigga in the common room."

Loki moved his head back and gave your hands a squeeze before letting them go. His eyes held yours and his voice was barely above a whisper, "Are you alright?"

You took a deep breath, and the excitement and nerves that hadn't yet made an appearance decided now would be a good time to do so. Regardless of how you were feeling, your parents had waited long enough, so you nodded and followed Loki to the common room.

You stopped just outside of the door as you noticed a gold potted plant start spinning a little ways down the hall. You knew you were unconsciously causing it to move, so you closed your eyes for a moment and tried to calm yourself. You could still hear the sound of the metal scooting and clanging and your breathing started to quicken.

You felt Loki's fingers graze your arms and his soothing voice met your ears, "Love, we don't have to go in until you're ready, alright?"

You opened your eyes, your gaze meeting Loki's. You took a few deep breaths and as you looked into his eyes, you felt some of the tension leave your body. The pot down the hall stopped spinning and you waited a few more moments before telling Loki you were ready.

"Are you sure?" Loki asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Yes. I'm alright as long as you're with me." Loki gazed at you for a moment longer before his hands fell from your arms. He turned around and pushed the door open, holding it for you to go through first.

You entered the room, your eyes immediately landing on the King and Queen sitting with what must be your parents. Your parents sprung to their feet, your mother taking a timid step towards you. Tears welled in her eyes as she said, "Y/N?"

You couldn't find the words to say, so you nodded and tried your best to give her an encouraging smile.

Your mother couldn't seem to find any words to express how she felt either, and she rushed to pull you into an emotional embrace. She held you tightly and your father wrapped his arms around you both, easing your nerves.

You stood like that for a while, a few tears falling from your own eyes. You could feel the pure love radiating from your parents, and you had never felt more happy than in that moment. You were surrounded by the people who loved you and who never forgot you after years of your absence.

Your father pulled away and your mother loosened her grip to cup your face in her hands. "My darling Y/N, I am so, so sorry this happened. We should have been watching you, protecting you. Can you ever forgive us?"

She wiped a few of your tears away as you gave her a reassuring smile. "There is nothing to forgive. What happened wasn't anyone's fault."

Your father spoke, his voice smooth yet thick with emotion, "I'd like to get my hands on the evil, son of a-"

Loki gently interjected, realizing the King and Queen hadn't yet filled your parents in on what had happened at the palace. "It was Lelornai. Taking Y/N was evidently one of the steps in a plot to steal the throne. All parties involved have been punished for their crimes."

You shot Loki a questioning look. Parties? Who else besides Lelornai was involved, and why didn't Loki tell you? Loki gave the slightest of nods, as if to say I'll tell you later.

Your mother softly asked, "What of Lelornai, Prince Loki?"

Loki shifted his gaze from you to your mother, his stance stiffening at the reminder of what happened in the palace. "He is no longer among the living."

Your fingers curled into a fist at your side as you thought about the terror Lelornai had caused, how he had dared to lay a finger on Loki. You had tried not to think about it too much. Honestly, the amount of sheer hatred and anger you felt towards a dead man frightened you.

"I'd prefer him to be living so I could have ended him myself, but- I am glad it's all over and you're home safe, Y/N." Your father pulled you in for a quick side hug and you relaxed, lightly patting his back. You expected to feel a little awkward initially, but you were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to interact with them. Although it wasn't as overwhelming as you'd thought it'd be, you were quite emotionally drained.

You pulled away as your mother said, "Yes, thank the gods for that. We missed you so much. We never gave up hope." You sent a grateful, weary smile in her direction. Loki's brow furrowed and his lips parted as he prepared to say something. Queen Frigga spoke before Loki could, "Clementia, Saevitia, I know that you've just arrived and you've had a long journey, but I believe we have a few matters to discuss before you get settled."

The Queen gave Loki a loving, dismissive glance and Loki extended his arm for you to take. You told your parents goodbye and accepted Loki's arm, letting him lead you out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind you, Loki worked his magic and the two of you were in his room in an instant.

Your emotions hit you all at once: a confusing mix of sadness and joy, hatred and love. You couldn't pinpoint exactly which feelings overwhelmed you, but tears stung your eyes and a sob escaped your lips before you could stop it. Loki pulled you into him, cradling your head against his chest. He ran his other hand up and down your back soothingly and whispered words of comfort in your ear. You wound your arms tightly around his torso, clutching the material covering his shoulders with trembling fingers.

You stayed like that for what felt like hours, and Loki didn't release you from his grip until your tears subsided and your breathing returned to normal. He tenderly cupped your face in his hands, his eyes meeting yours and asked, "Are you alright, my love?"

You nodded and he wiped the remaining tears from your face, saying, "It's been quite an eventful day already, hasn't it?"

You let out a small laugh, replying, "Yes, it has. What do you think the King and Queen needed to discuss with my parents?"

Loki's hands trailed down your shoulders and arms to grasp your hands in his own. "Most likely living arrangements and duties attached to your father filling the role of battle adviser. Nothing too exciting, I'm sure."