Silent Cellmate

1. First Impressions

Loki's POV:

"Boredom.

Trapped inside this barren cell for months on end with little to occupy my mind is slowly driving me insane. Mother has slipped past the guards on numerous occasions to bring me new books, however, this has done little to help me pass the time.

At my sentencing, Odin told me that I will spend the remainder of my days in this cell unless I can prove that I have changed. In all honesty, I find this punishment to be moronic. How am I to show that I mean no harm if I am trapped in this 12-foot box?

Not to mention the fact that he will never believe that I am good at heart. I was never to blame for the events of New York. He has never even given me a chance to explain what I went through at the hands of that monster when I fell into the abyss. If I had truly wanted to rule Midgard I would have succeeded with ease. Instead, I made sure that the plan failed by fighting through that blasted mind control.

But no, he will never listen to me, so I am condemned to rot away in this abominable dungeon."

As I finished my rant I could hear the sounds of chains clinking together and the heavy booted footsteps of the guards. Assuming that yet another prisoner was being dragged to their cell. I chose to ignore the noise and continue to pace like a caged animal.

The footsteps came to an abrupt halt outside of my cell. Curiosity got the better of me so I turned to look at my impromptu visitors.

As I had predicted, there were two guards standing before me. Meeting their hateful gazes I let out a chuckle and let a grin spread across my face.

"So, what has brought you to my humble abode."

"The AllMother has decided that you can no longer be entertained by books alone, so we have brought you a companion" the short guard scoffed. Clearly, he was unhappy about the additional luxuries that Mother provided me with.

I looked at the prisoner trapped between the two guards and was surprised to see a beautiful woman standing there. Despite the fact she was trembling with fear I must admit that I did find her rather attractive.

"Ah, it is nice that Mother has provided me with something to play with. Let's hope that she is tougher than she looks otherwise she won't last the night". I chuckled darkly as I heard the girl let out a small whimper. I had no intention of harming her, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have a little fun.

The tall guard opened my cell before unceremoniously shoving the poor girl inside. She had not even managed to make it to her feet before the force field was reactivated.

"Enjoy" grumbled the tall guard. He pulled out a small remote and pressed the button to remove the chain between the girl's handcuffs. Left now with what appeared to be only metal bracelets the girl pushed herself to her feet and backed into the furthest corner of my cell.

As the guards walked away I turned my full attention to the creature before me. Upon closer inspection, it appears that she had been starved and beaten for a prolonged period of time before being dragged into this part of the dungeons. Her cheekbones protruded sharply with her skin pulled taught over them. Her clothes were practically shredded and every inch of her skin was littered with bruises.

Feeling sympathy for the girl I decided to sit on the opposite end of the cell in the hopes that it would make her feel more comfortable. After sitting in silence for a while I decided to speak to my new roommate in the hopes that she would provide me with some much-needed entertainment.

"So, aren't you going to introduce yourself, you obviously know who I am so I feel as though I am at a disadvantage". I kept my voice soft as I spoke in the hopes that I would not scare her further. She seemed to be in such a fragile state that I was sure that more fright would kill her.

She simply whimpered, shook her head aggressively and touched her throat. I asked for her name again but she only repeated the same gesture.

I sighed and looked at her with disappointment. "You are a mute aren't you", making my displeasure clear with each word that I spoke.

She looked at me with fear in her eyes and nodded. Clearly, she believed that this would anger me enough to cause her harm, however, this was not the case. I just sighed and leaned my head back against the wall. "I guess my hope of finally having some form of conversation has been dashed".

I heard her breathing change, becoming far more rapid and shallow. When I looked at her I could see how hard she was shaking, evidently terrified of what I may choose to do instead of talking.

I gave her a small smile, "It's okay" I spoke gently in an attempt to soothe her. "I have no intentions of harming you, especially for something as simple as not being able to speak. Even having company that is silent is a nice change of pace for me after all this time in the dungeons".

I watched as her breathing slowly evened out and her body appeared to relax. I was not particularly thrilled about having this girl thrust into my cell, especially since it appeared as if I would have to take care of her. But that was a problem for tomorrow.

The lights in the hallway dimmed signalling the setting of the sun.

Since it was now too dark for me to read without creating light with my limited magic I decided to go to sleep. I thought that it would be best not to let the girl know that I had any of my powers as it may just frighten her further.

I slowly got up from the floor and made my way over to the bed, all the while making sure to keep my distance from the girl.

I noticed that the guards had not provided a cot for the newcomer and sighed with exasperation. I looked over at the shivering girl and wondered if I should be a gentleman and offer her the bed.

However, I decided that I had already been accommodating enough for one day and I was unwilling to sleep on the floor like an animal. I may be locked in a cage but I am still a prince of Asgard.

Instead, I spoke to the girl one last time. "You are welcome to join me on the bed if you choose. I promise that no harm will come to you if you join me. I am aware that you are terrified of me and I make no advances toward you. I will ask for another cot to be brought to the cell tomorrow if you so choose".

I lay down on the bed and rolled onto my side waiting to hear any sound from the girl. After a few minutes, I heard her stand and cautiously creep over to the bed.

She slowly sat down next to me and let out a sigh of resignation. I could still feel her body trembling with fear as she leaned over me.

I froze as I felt her lips upon my neck and was only brought back to reality as I felt a tear drip down onto my skin. I swiftly grabbed her shoulder which made her whimper.

"What the Hel are you doing" I hissed. I heard her let out a small sob so I looked into her eyes. After a few moments, I realised that she thought she would have to have sex with me in order to sleep in the bed.

Horrified at the fact she must have been severely abused for a long time for this to be her instinct I pulled her into a hug. She fought against me for a few minutes before giving into my embrace and loudly sobbing.

I gently held her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear until she had calmed. I pulled back and looked at her again. Even in the dark, I could see that her eyes were red and puffy.

"You don't need to do that, not now or ever again. I have no intention of causing you pain, neither physical nor psychological. Now, let's lay down and get some sleep. It has been a long day and you must be exhausted".

I lay back against my pillow and felt the mattress dip as she lay down next to me. To my surprise, I felt her move closer and wrap an arm around my waist.

Though I tend to not be fond of physical contact, for some reason I seemed to find this gesture rather comforting. I slowly moved closer to her and tucked my arm around her to bring her closer. Surprisingly, she did not pull away. In fact, she snuggled her head into my chest and let out a small sigh of relief.

I felt a smile tug appear on my lips and softly whispered "goodnight little one" before closing my eyes and letting sleep take me.