Recompense [Fólkvangr End, Book 1] [Loki Fanfiction]

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“I am well, it is Loki you should be concerned with,” I prompt, pushing Loki forward. The two brothers consult quickly and I stand off, watching with Tony and Banner.

Tony leans over, prodding me with his elbow, “So, you’re a lady on Asgard, eh?” I look at him and roll my eyes poignantly, but he is too busy enjoying the very thought of it.

“Technically. Let me remind you that I am both Asgardian and Jotun, and merely born on Earth. I can, and still will, crush you,” I mutter lowly at him, deadpan. Of course, I don’t actually mean it. But if it gets him to shut his stupid mouth, well, then, I have no qualms with a threat. And to my luck, he does shut up. I turn my focus back to Loki and Thor, and Loki looks horrified.

“No,” he says firmly, arms crossed over his chest. They’ve reverted to English, which is good news for the rest of us.

“My apologies, Loki, but it is not my decision. I cannot undo what has been done,” Thor says and I swear he looks at me quickly from the corner of his eyes.

“What do you expect her to do?” Loki growls.

Yup. This is definitely about me.

“She will stay here with the Man of Iron and the other Avengers until the Allfather can get enough power to bring her back as well,” Thor says, looking sad. I can feel everyone staring at me, but I can’t see it. I’ve developed some sort of short term tunnel vision.

The word is a whisper, “What?”

Someone touches my shoulder. Thor. “The Allfather drained most of his magic in getting myself here to fetch Loki. He finds it imperative that we bring Loki back first so that he may heal and face punishment, and I shall return for you in due time.”

“You’re going to leave me here with a bunch of strangers so you can torture Loki for having a temper tantrum? I don’t think I like that very much, Thor,” I bite, regaining my ability to actually focus on the people around me. If you can call them people. Two gods, a Gamma-rayed Hulk man and a billionaire with an arc reactor built into his chest to keep him alive. People.

“I…I have no say in the matter. Now that I am here, Odin shall only take back Loki and I. It should happen any moment, but I do not know quite when. We can only wait and Odin will draw us back to Asgard.”

“Fuck this,” I say suddenly, pushing my way past Thor.

“Valkyrie,” Loki says quietly.

I shake my head, “No, no, you know what? Fuck this. Fuck everything. And fuck you too, Odin!” I raise my middle finger to the sky with a sarcastic bow. “No offense, guys, but your dad is a dick. Everything I does, he tries to find some ulterior motive. He doesn’t trust me. And now, after I’ve basically given up ever having a normal life to come to your damn planet to help protect him, he won’t even bother to use a little extra magic to bring me back too. Fine, fine. Just keep throwing Valkyrie around to random places, she won’t mind! What’s a few extra days pent up with some superheroes? Fucking shit.”

Nobody has a response, and I am certain I would be speechless if it hadn’t been my own damn rant. Thor seems the most surprised, Banner looks embarrassed and a little sympathetic and Tony and Loki just look impressed.

“Loki…we are being summoned. We must depart,” Thor says quietly. I sigh and cover my face with my hands before dropping them back down in defeat.

“Well, bye, I guess,” I shrug. Thor heads towards the outside balcony just beyond where we are standing. Out of the glass wall I can see the helicopter pad, and the entirety of upper Manhattan. It would be nice if I weren’t so miserable. I can only watch them go. Loki follows Thor, limping along, and the three humans trail after them. We watch from the side as the skies grow slightly dark around us and I feel a rain drop on my face. Only then do I realize it isn’t the rain that I feel dripping down my cheek. I wish I could give them a proper goodbye, not knowing when I will see them again.

“Valkyrie!” I look up and Loki is standing on the edge of the helicopter pad, his hand outstretched towards me. I rush to him, uncertain of what he wants from me. He slips something cool into my palm and closes my hand around it before reaching up to brush my tears away. He smiles sadly. “Don’t cry over me, love.”

“I feel like an idiot,” I admit with a pained laugh, wiping the tears away too. My hand brushes his and then wraps around his fingers. “Be good, Loki.”

“I shall try, if only for you.”

I nod, uncertain of what else I can say. “What, uh, what was it that you wanted to confess to me? The thing you mentioned earlier?”

“Surely you have an inkling about my feelings towards you,” Loki says, searching my eyes. I can’t bring myself to look away from the clear green pools. They’ve grown so familiar and still manage to plague my thoughts and be infuriatingly unreadable.

I open my mouth to come up with some meager response, but he places a finger over my lips. He leans forward, his nose brushing against mine and I close my eyes, bringing my lips to close the distance from his. But suddenly the weight of his hand upon my cheek is lifted and I cannot feel his forehead pressed to mine. I am left hanging, my lips unmet, and I open my eyes. Loki is gone.