Sinbound: Variants

Part 22

We reach the rainbow bridge in all it's glory. The water seems angry underneath it at clouds stalk the city, threatening a dark, harsh storm. Loki and I glance at each other, his face upset and rigid. I can tell he's angry at Heimdall for withholding the truth about me. Although I appreciate the protectiveness, I understand why Heimdall did it, and I'm going to make sure that he knows I know.

I take to the bridge, this time walking a little ahead of Loki. The breeze whips my curls around my face, but I don't bother to fix it. They eventually fall back into place as the wind settles down.

Loki shuffles his feet quickly to walk next to me, our shoulders almost touching. "What is your plan of punishment for Heimdall?" He asks, trying to sound serious and talk business. All I can think about though, is his hair sticking out from under his helmet. It's to his shoulders, but layered in a way that the pieces stick out.

"I haven't decided yet."

"This isn't something you-"

"Loki, I love you, but you don't need to tell me what to do. I know what I'm doing already."

"Darling, you've never been royal before. I only saw it fit to guide you, that's all."

"I don't need your guidance." I hate being so cold to him, but I don't want him to know my plan to save Heimdall literally from Loki himself. I hope he doesn't hate me for it.

"Let me stop you right there." He says, stepping with one tall stride in front of me and placing his hand on my shoulder. "You will see to the future of Heimdall, I've granted you that. But I will not have you surprising me with what you do. I know something is going on deeper than you're letting on, and I demand to know what it is." There's a growl in his voice and hardness in his eyes to match it. I take in a deep breath, tilting my head down a little whilst not looking away from him. 

"If you had waited before storming out of the palace to listen to what I had to say, we wouldn't be in this situation!" I start to get annoyed at him. What Loki did I get? What haven't we been through that made him trusting and soft like before?

"I apologize. Sincerely, but please, tell me what you're thinking." His hand slides down from my shoulder to hold my hand. He kisses the back of it and softens his face. There you go, Loki. Calm down.

"I have a variant." I say plainly, waiting for his questions to unlock and drown me. He says nothing, but his expression of attention intensifies. "She became a thing when I created a nexus event by going back in time and not almost dying during the war on Asgard with Hela." I continue.

"You... you used the time stone?" He asks, confused but also a little impressed. 

"Yes, but it was a mistake. I need to almost die so that Fleur, that's what we were calling her, could survive. I know now that it wasn't my job to stop her, but to mend something broken instead. I need her, and she needs me. Something happened and I... I couldn't protect her. I need your help getting her back."

"Is this what Heimdall was withholding from me?" He asks, his voice almost a whisper.

"Yes." I say, trying not to get emotional. "It wasn't Beth, Bucky and I who were at that coffee shop. It was Fleur, Bucky and I. Some weird people who called themselves the Time Variants Authority came to collect her since we weren't under the protection of the compound anymore, and I lost her." I say, getting emotional anyway. 

I start crying, thinking about the pain in my heart when they ripped us away from each other. I inhale sharply, and suddenly I'm pulled into Loki's chest hard in an embrace. I hug him back, and he pets the back of my head, stroking my curls.