A Gods Favor

You Are Not Sorry

Snow fell on Asgard that night as its people celebrated. Volstagg regaled the table with tales of the battle, tossing a mug on the ground and making the child on his lap burst out in laughter as Fandral stood behind him smiling, a woman on each arm.

Elora sat between Thor and Yrsa mind wandering to the letters burning a hole in her pocket.

"Help me escape," Thor leaned in and whispered to her. "I can tell you have as much on your mind as me. Let's try and slip out."

Elora looked to Yrsa who nodded and the duo rose, Thor offering Elora his arm as they walked.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Thor leaned in and spoke as they wove through the great hall.

"I'm sure you can guess at mine as easily as I can guess yours."

He laughed low in his throat. "We are quite the sad pair, aren't we?"

"Sad but together." She tugged herself closer to him as they moved.

"It is good to have you back."

They exited the hall and crossed over a balcony when they passed Sif.

"There was a time when you would celebrate for weeks." The warrior called to Thor as they passed.

He looked down at Elora with a sad smile and she slipped from his arm. "Go on. I have a few letters that need to be read."

-

Loki lay on his small cot staring at the blank ceiling, wondering what his nightmares would contain tonight when he heard her voice.

"I spent more centuries than I'm willing to admit, enamored with you." He shot up to see Elora standing just inside the glowing wall, arms crossed and anger on her face. "I'd lay awake night after night wishing that eventually you might notice, that you might feel for me one iota of what I did for you. And then one day something changed and you did. Now I realize it wasn't because you had any real interest in me, you just reveled in my obsession with you and didn't want to lose that."

"Elora," Loki stood and crossed his cell, reaching out to her despite her being just a projection he could not touch. "That isn't true."

"Then you tried to use that obsession for your own gain and I nearly let you, nearly hurt the people I love to let you have what you wanted. Here we are years later and even after what I lost you are still trying to use those feelings." She had begun pacing as she spoke and he followed.

"I did- I do have feelings for you. That was never a falsehood and I am so sorry. I never intended for you to get hurt."

"Bollocks." She whirled and hissed at him, her eyes going black.

"It's not. When I learned what happened I wrote you letters to apologize to-"

"These letters," she pulled the stack of parchment from her skirts. "Are not apologies they are excuses and attempts at manipulation. Yes, the words are very pretty but they all mean nothing because all you say is that you are sorry for what happened, for the pain you caused, for what I have lost. For all the things that came after what you did but never once in all of this do you ever say that you wish you could take it back, that you are sorry for what you did!"

She slammed the stack into his chest and his eyes went wide. "You're here?"

She dropped her hand and the letters went scattering to the floor. "And you are selfish."

She turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. "Yes, El, I am selfish and that selfishness makes me willing to do anything for the two things I want most in this world. My birthright and you, so no I do not apologize for the things I have done in my attempts to take what I want!"

Loki breathed heavily and he wasn't sure if it was from the anger or from having Elora so close again. It was silent for a long moment as she stared up at him, her eyes flicking to his lips for the barest second and he began to lean in.

"That same selfishness has made it so you cannot have either." She whispered against his lips before pulling from his grasp and marching to the barrier. With a wave of her hands it split open allowing her to storm out not looking back as it closed again.