Caught (Loki x reader)

Chapter 11

"Thank you." you say, and he leaves the room.

You sigh as he shuts the door, looking back to your computer. You have a million things to do from your unproductive second half of the day yesterday, and you have to get ready for tonight too. The mere thought of it is exhausting.

You're so deep in your thoughts when you get back to work that Loki has to clear his throat to make his presence known.

You start and gasp loudly before catching sight of him; your eyes widen in shock. He looks horrifically smug.

"Got you."

"How... you can't be here." you say in astonishment.

"You've said that before." he reprimands you, walking over to your desk and holding his hand out. You look from his hand to his face in confusion.

"Try." he tells you, nodding at his hand.

You tentatively raise your hand towards his, and when you try and touch him your hand goes straight through his. Your mouth falls open slightly.

"An illusion." he tells you, withdrawing his hand and walking through one side of the chair opposite you to sit on it.

"So you really can't leave this time?" you ask him. You both hear the sympathy in your voice.

"No. The restraints from Asgard are... quite unbreakable." he says in resignation.

"They look quite breakable from where I'm sitting." you tell him.

"I am lucky they don't prevent one's use of magic." he says, frowning slightly at the thought.

"Is that even possible?" you ask him.

"Yes." he replies, apparently not wishing to elaborate further.

"I came to apologise for yesterday." he continues before you have a chance to speak.

"It's okay-"

"No. I should not have put you in that position. So... I apologise." he says, looking at the floor.

"You could just... ask me. Like a normal person." you reply, smiling slightly.

He... his illusion, looks up at you, and for some reason you find it quite difficult to draw your next breath.

Other ways.

"Something's bothering you." he says, frowning. You shake your head.

"I'm fine."

"Tell me."

"Really, nothing's wrong." you tell him, attempting a smile.

"I am asking you. Like a normal person." he says. Your forced smile becomes a true one, before you frown again, looking at his illusion.

"After I left your cell yesterday, I had an argument with Fury."

"I know. I heard." Loki says, a brief look of amusement crossing his face. You blink.

"How much did you hear?" you ask, after a beat.

"All of it."

"Even... what Tony said?"

"Yes." he tells you, looking unfazed. But how can he be?

"Are you not worried?" you ask him.

"Are you?" he replies.

You are mercifully saved from replying by a knock on your office door. Loki disappears instantly.

"Come in!" you call, trying not to sound guilty.

...

Loki's POV

You're worried about him.

He'd fought with himself for hours before going to see you, guilt and anger churning inside him like some awful whirlpool of... emotion.

Why on Asgard had he felt the need to apologise to you? Perhaps forcing you to tell him about your past had been a bit uncalled for, but manipulating people was just what he did. He had never felt the need to apologise to anyone else about it. Apart from maybe Thor.

And you continued to seem to want to interact with him. Loki could count the number of friends he'd had over the past several hundred years on one hand. None of said relationships had withstood the test of time... or Loki's devious temperament.

It didn't do to get involved. But surely it wouldn't hurt to remain acquainted with you.

Just while he was stuck here.