An Act of... Love? [An Avengers Polyamorous Fanfic]

*Chapter 15

**SEXUAL CONTENT INBOUND IN THIS CHAPTER**

The next morning all I wanted to do was to never get out of bed. It was a Sunday, I didn't have school and I didn't necessarily have to work, either. So I allowed myself to just sulk in bed for longer than was probably necessary. I let good memories of Aella and I play on my mind. Aella was my best friend when I was young... apart from Aunt Bri, Aella was my saving grace. I got shocked out of my memories when a knock resounded out through my apartment, and I looked up weirdly at Friday.

"Nothing to say?" I asked her begrudgingly as I got out of bed to go answer the door. Standing there was Loki, with several bags.

"I brought food," he said, forcing his way into my apartment without another word.

"I- Loki," I exclaimed, closing the door and following him.

"I figured you might not want to face people today... at the expense of food. So here I am. No talking is necessary if you don't want it. Just food," he said, unpacking the bags of food on the table. "I got a mixture of lunch and breakfast foods," he said. It was largely fast food, which at this moment I appreciated. I begrudgingly sat down as he unpacked more food than it seemed to fit in the bags, and I reached forward to grab a hash brown and started munching on it. Loki smiled down at me as he'd officially filled my table with food, and then he wandered over to my kitchen. "Do you wish for something to drink?" he asked as he had my fridge open.

"I don't have much, my food delivery that I put in for hasn't arrived yet," I told him.

"It'll come today, then," he assured me.

"Loki, what are you-?"

"I'm making sure you're taken care of, little lamb. I feel a need to make sure you're taken care of," he responded, and I could feel the swirl of confused affection from here.

"Why?" I questioned, not quite understanding the feeling.

"I, for some reason, possess a kinship for you. I don't quite understand it myself," he responded with brazen honesty. He stopped poking around in my kitchen and came back to the table to sit down across from me. "You're important to me, my dearest mortal. So I'll make sure you're treated right, by yourself included." I couldn't help the way my heart fluttered when he called me his dearest mortal. His? I gulped down my bite of food.

"I'm no one important, Loki. I'm just... me," I responded, speaking the words that rang truest in my mind. There was a part of me that wanted to be special. That wanted to remain his. That wanted to be special to everyone in the tower. But I was just... me. A traumatized little girl who was constantly sabotaging herself and ruining her own life. I was nothing special.

"I disagree," was all he said, his intense gaze on me. "What are you thinking?" he asked after a period of prolonged silence.

"I-" I blushed, not sure how to really put it into words. "Loki, I would love to be this super special person you all are seeming to think I am. I would love to be, and remain, important and special to you and the others. But the fact is... I'm just... I'm nothing special. Really. I am just a traumatized individual who always self-sabotages," I said as I stared down at my food with intensity, refusing to look up and meet Loki's eyes. I heard him stand up and start moving, and I wondered if he was going to leave... it would seem about right. I wouldn't blame him. But then he was right next to me, kneeling down so that he was looking up into my eyes.

"I understand that you can't see it, pet. I understand that you're so used to being thrown to the side and made to believe you're unimportant. That you've been beaten down so many times that you've taken it upon yourself to do it before anyone else ever has the chance. But the fact is, my little mortal, you are important. To every single one of us here at this tower, and ultimately to the universe as well. You are a ray of sunshine, and we all look forward to seeing you shine. So, if you can't see it, I'll just have to keep reminding you," he said, his voice loud enough that only I could hear, even though no one else was in the apartment. The sincerity in his voice shook me, as I just stared down into his eyes. I couldn't bring myself to really believe the words he was telling me, because I simply couldn't see how I was of any importance. But I could feel how passionate he was about what he was saying, and how sincere he was. It seemed like all of the time in the world passed as I stared into his eyes, but also somehow felt like no time at all until he gently rose his face to mine and kissed me. It was light, which I found surprising. It was gentle, and it was loving.