For Better or For Worse (Loki x Reader)

Chapter Thirty

OMG I'M FINALLY BACK!!!
Thanks for being so patient with me! I've been working a lot, and swimming started last week, so I have a lot on my plate. Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Let me know with a comment and/or vote! Enjoy!!!

Loki's POV

The breeze flowing from through the slightly ajar terrace door ruffled my hair gently, blowing some of the soft strands into my wife's face. At the moment, her face was peaceful with sleep. Her face was calm and youthful as she lay in my arms, still deep asleep. Gently, as to not disturb her, I brushed her (H/C) hair away from her face as well as some of my own dark stands that had fallen into her face.

I couldn't help but smile down at my wife who lay peacefully in my arms, not having even twitched the entire night. After the information she had shared with me the night before, I was so scared she wouldn't sleep the night through. I was sure she was going to wake up in a screaming fit, tears pouring down her face as she cried out for her brother. I was surprised when I wasn't woken by blood curdling screams as she relived the Hel that had been her life before she came to Asgard.

I was still having a hard time processing everything she had told me. I hadn't slept much that night. I would fall asleep for short periods of time before I was awake again, making sure (Y/N) didn't need me. Once I was sure she was okay, I would fall back to a fitful sleep, barely unconscious just in case anything were to happen to my beloved.

I couldn't wrap my mind around how much she had suffered. I knew I had suffered in the past as well, but that kind of pain was completely different coming from a family member; I knew that first hand. Family was supposed to be a safe place where you could seek comfort, holding on to each other during the bad times and celebrating the good times. Family was not a place to hurt each other. Of course, as a family, there would always be fighting and arguing, that was just how families were meant to work, but abuse of any kind was unacceptable. I had undergone my own share of vocal and mental abuse from Odin, but that was nothing on physical pain. There was no way to feel safe in a house where if you made any mistakes, even very minor, you would be beat.

Without really thinking about it, I wrapped myself tighter around my wife, trying in vain to protect her from everything bad that the world had to offer. I knew there was no way for me to protect her from everything in this world, but I was sure as Hel going to try. I was going to kill anyone who hurt my precious wife if it was the last thing I ever did. I let out a sigh, pulling her closer to me, her back against my chest.

"Loki?" I heard a tired voice ask. I opened my eyes to find the beautiful (E/C) eyes of my wife staring back into my own. She looked exhausted even though she had slept the entire night through. It could have just been her waking up though; she still looked half asleep.

"Good morning, darling," I said as I brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, letting my thumb linger on her cheek for a moment longer. "Did you sleep well?" I asked, rubbing my thumb over her cheek bone gently. She nodded through a yawn, not saying a word as she twisted around in my arms to put her face in my chest, snuggling in once she was comfortable. I couldn't help but smile as I wrapped my arms even tighter around my wife, holding her close.

"Thank you, Loki," I heard her whisper after a moment, the feeling of her lips ghosting over the skin of my neck causing a shiver to race down my spine. My smile only widened as I looked down at the woman of my dreams.