The Light To His Lies (Loki)

T W E N T Y - F I V E

It had been about three weeks since I had been in the prisons, I have yet to know how long they will leave me here, I had listened to every song on Steve's IPod at least five times, learned the words to every song and had almost driven myself mad with boredom. I had tried to keep myself fit by every once in a while doing push ups and sits up until I couldn't feel my arms, trying to remember every little work out possible so my muscles wouldn't atrophy.

The earbuds that were in my ears play a soft melody as I paced the cell again, reading Steve's note for the hundredth time. I repeat the words I had said all day, and all week, "After a while, crocodile." I rake a hand through my hair, throwing the paper onto the mattress and mentally groaning. I can't handle not knowing what was going to happen to me, when I would see my friends again, and when Loki would stop being such a jerk.

You know I can read minds right? Loki's voice echoes in my brain, I stare hard at him, narrowing my eyes into slits. "You know I can cut your head off, right?" I say, he only grins at me and writes something else in his journal. The song on the Midgardian IPod was another one of my favorites, called True Blue Lou by Annette Hanshaw. According to Steve it was from the 1930s, (in Midgard).

Who fought to save him? Smiled and forgave him, True Blue Lou.

I look around the small space I have, my breakfast platter still uneaten and on my mattress, it contained bread and fruit, but my appetite left when I thought of spending the rest of my life here in the cells. The suspense of not knowing what would happen was killing me, I can't stand still for one moment. Distracted, I didn't see Thor walk up to me. "Lady Lyra, you're the last person I would expect to see here." An amused/ concerned voice calls from behind the force field.

I jerk my head to the side and sigh in relief when I see him. "You're a sight for sore eyes. Please tell me you've talked some sense into your father." I ask, desperation laced in my tone. "He's coming around, he's especially angry at a certain trickster." Thor says, glaring at Loki. "Aren't we all?" I say, rolling my eyes, not bothering to pay mind to the venomous glare we were receiving his way.

"What exactly is he angry at me for?" I ask, pulling a loose strand of chocolate brown hair behind my ear. Thor sighs, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "He thinks you accompanied Loki with, 'The onslaught of Midgard' " He says, using his fingers as air quotes. "Onslaught? That's a little exaggerated." I reply, fiddling with the IPod in my fingertips. "That's absolutely ludicrous, why on Asgard would he think that? I defended Earth for crying out loud." I say, throwing my hands is the air in exasperation. "I told him this, he's coming around, give me more time." He says. I sigh, raking a hand through my hair. "It's almost been a month, Thor." I said with dry humor, not in the slightest amused.

"I've been busy." He says, making me raise an eyebrow. I don't question it. "I'll get it worked out, Lyra. I promise. In the mean time, sit tight.
-
Hours after Thor left, I was left in silence again. I fiddled with the device in my hand, I could easily drive the silence away with the music on the IPod, but I decide against that and turn to the God of Mischief in the cell. "What are you reading?" I ask, hating every second of silence between us. He diverts his eyes from the pages in his fingertips to me. "Legends of Asgard." He says, I notice he hasn't left a page in a long time. I let my head fall against the wall, not directing my gaze away from him. After he breaks eye contact and doesn't respond I make a real attempt to keep the conversation going. "I've read that book before." I say, then mentally cringe at how desperate I sound to make conversation. I'm sure he notices because he doesn't say anything for a good minute, and I start to give up on making him talk to me when he suddenly speaks up.

"I know. You read it everyday at the library when you weren't training." Loki says, smiling to himself. I quirk a eyebrow, "Ever since you were in you were a child." He finishes, meeting my gaze again. I can't help but smile. "How'd you know that?" I say, sitting down cross-legged on the ground to face him. A hint of a smile laced his lips, bringing hope to my eyes. "Well I, used listen to you hum in the library when we were younger. After they fo-" He stops, knowing that my childhood is a touchy subject. All I know is that the Royal Guard found me as a toddler, and that's all I know.
"Really?" I say, my smile growing bigger, butterflies gathering in my stomach, hope starts gathering inside me that I might be getting closer, when his eyes divert from mine. "Yes." He says, starting to grow distant again as he picks up the book.

"Wait! Please don't ice me out again." I practically. He looks at me and sighs again. "I could never," he said, his lips curling softly. Smiling triumphantly, I scoot closer to the field, feeling the energy radiating on my skin. "So, what page are you on, what are you reading about?" I ask eagerly, and he gives me a flat look. "Reading is a solitary activity," He drawls, aggravation in his eyes, and I couldn't help but feel aggravated in return.

"Lots of things are solitary activities. Knitting, fishing, swimming, dying-" He quirked his brow at my comment at me questionably but I continued. "But that doesn't mean they have to be solitary. For example I could knit with Volstagg or fish with Thor or-"

"Are you going to babble on much longer?" Loki interrupted, I could tell he was trying to sound annoyed but he did not hide his amused smile well. I frowned, bringing my brows together.

"I could shove my head into this force field right now and fry off my face- is that what you want? A deep fried prison-mate?" I quipped irritably, really not understanding the words that came out of my mouth but needing some source of distraction lest I drive myself to insanity.

"You'd be less talkative, at least."

I groaned and pulled my hands over my head. "Fine, I give up. You're about as good company as a wooden rod." I joked, falling onto my back in exasperation. I heard his sigh of quiet laughter at the sound of flipping pages. "Have you ever read about yourself in this?" He asks, I shot up suddenly with a dumb grin on my face, finally, for the first time in a month, I was getting somewhere. I saw his eyes flit to my face and his mouth twitch when he saw my mindless smile, and I shook my head. "I didn't know I'm in them." I say, not able to contain my content with talking with Loki and the happiness practically spilled over my lips. Loki grins, walking over and sitting down on the other side of the force field.
"I didn't think so." He smirks.

"Why don't you read it to me?" I ask him, he diverts his eyes to the top of the page, most likely taking a moment to find the words. "'Lyra Clovin is an orphaned Norse Goddess. She has abilities that no one can really explain, giving her ease in Asgardian magic. Betrothed to, " Loki pauses for a second. "Thor, the God of Thunder." He says, his voice becoming tight suddenly. I grin, nestling up against the wall so our shoulders are inches apart, only separated by the electromagnetic field. "What else does it say?" I ask, craning my neck to try and see the words. "That's all it says." He answers, but I know he's lying. I couldn't make out the words but I know there's more there. "Oh come on, what does the magic book say my future holds?" I pout, pulling my knees to my chest. "It's just explaining your abilities." He says, staring at me. I smirked. "It just said my abilities were unexplainable."

I meet his gaze, "Read me yours! I haven't read the books in a while, I want to read the new stuff. Please?" I ask, he turns the page reluctantly. "Loki.." He pauses, clenching his jaw. "Laufeyson, of...Jotuheim, lives amongst the Aesir. He is the God of Mischief and the adopted brother of Thor Odinson. The trickster is extremely talented in Asgardian magic, taught to him by his adopted mother, Frigga." He stops, and I don't blame him. His whole life he saw himself as an Odinson. As Frigga's son. As Thor's brother, and not the God of Mischief. "Are you okay?" I ask him, he looks at me and smiles fakely. His emotions tell a different story. "Why don't you read to me of the Nine Realms?" I ask hopefully.

He obliges, reading me about the species of the Realms, and of the legends and prophecies that exist among the stars. He reads the Elder Edda until I forget everything that's happened, in a trance that entrapped me.

And when night fell and lights switched off, we learned closer to the field that illuminated light and read to me, his voice soothing and reminding me of life before I jumped after him. His words eventually lulled me to sleep, dreaming of the future we could've had, if only I had never gone to Midgård in the first place.