Worth It

Nineteen

"What the hell were you thinking?" Tony yelled at me. Apparently sneaking out for the day when you live with the avengers is a big no no.

"What I was thinking is that you won't let me leave and staying locked up in a tower is pretty detrimental to my mental health!" I shot back. "You said if I agreed to be an avenger, I would be allowed to leave so why can't I?"

"Because! You are a child!" Tony yelled.

"And? I'm pretty sure normal teenagers are allowed to go out to see their friends."

"But you're not normal." Steve reminded me.

"I want to be! I want to be able to do normal things!"

"Well too bad!" Tony threw his arms up in frustration and I flinched. Memories of a particularly shit foster home flashed through my mind.

"You stupid, foolish girl!" He struck my face and I fell onto the ground.

"I didn't mean to. Please stop." I pleaded while tears swam in my eyes.

"You need to toughen up." He grabbed my arm and dragged me outside to his garden shed. "This is where you'll stay until you can stop crying like a baby." He shoved me into the cold shed and slammed the doors behind me. I banged on the doors and cried for him to let me out. I stayed in that shed for two days before he let me out. I was too weak from malnutrition to cry anymore.

I guess that's what I get for breaking a picture frame.

Tony froze and looked at me, regret clear in his eyes. I bit down on my lip to keep the tears in. I could feel them spilling over the edge so I ran out of the conference room. I heard Steve calling after me but I ignored him.

I slammed my bedroom door behind me and slid down the wall. I couldn't keep it inside anymore, memories that I'd hoped to keep bottled up were coming out.

"You're not there anymore." I mumbled to myself. "You're safe. They can't hurt you anymore."

I'm so pathetic. Crying over buried memories from years ago. I wish I was normal. I wish I didn't have to carry this everywhere I go.

I was startled by a soft knock on my door. I quickly dusted myself off and wiped away the remaining tears. I open the door and am completely taken aback by who stands before me.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Loki asked me.

"Um, sure go ahead." I stepped aside and he walked in. I don't think I've ever seen him wearing normal people clothes.

"I figured I'm the only one here that isn't going to act like everything in the world is going to be perfectly fine. Do you want to talk about it?" He sat down on the edge of my bed and I joined him.

"Sure." I took a deep breath and tried not to cry.

"Before I moved here, I was in foster care. Not all of the homes were bad but there were some that were especially awful." He looked genuinely sympathetic. "There was this one guy, he lived alone so it was just the two of us, he was the worst. Harsh punishment for small mistakes. There was this one time that I broke a picture frame, I must have been eight or nine because it was before I really knew about my powers. Anyway, I broke a picture frame and he was furious. He slapped me before locking me in his shed in the cold. I was in there for two days before he decided that it was enough." I took in a deep breath, trying to get my emotions in check. "So I guess with the yelling and the sudden movement... the only other time that has happened is when I was being punished." I look up at the dark haired god and see the sympathy in his eyes.

"You do know he would never do that to you."

"I do."

"And if you want," Loki speaks. "I am more that happy to kill this man that has caused you so much harm." I laugh lightly before looking at his serious expression.

"Oh, you're not joking. No you don't need to do that." He nods.

"Are you ready to tell them this?" Loki asks me. I pause.

"Not yet, I don't want the whole sympathy treatment. I might tell my dad but only him for now." We sit in comfortable silence before he speaks.

"Why did you share this with me but not everyone else?" His question catches me off guard.

"I'm not sure." I admit. "I think you're just easy to talk to, you don't have that superhero optimism." I smile at him.

"You know you're the first person to treat me like a person? You haven't judged me for my mistakes, you see me for who I am in the moment."

"I don't think that anyone here is allowed to judge you. Most of us don't have a squeaky clean record either."

"What about the captain?" I roll my eyes.

"That man is so perfect, it makes me nauseous."

"I agree." Loki and I laugh.

"The next time I hear some stupid comment from someone about you, I'll take care of it." I tell him with a smirk. He looks confused but quickly brushes it off.

Loki and I sit in silence for a few minutes before he leaves. I asked him not to tell anyone anything, he promised not to.

I was sitting in bed reading when I heard my phone buzz.

🥰Ophelia🥰
Did they kill you? If so, when's the funeral and is there a dress code?

I giggle at her message.

Me
Yes, sadly I have passed away. The funeral is June 16th and the dress code is glitter only.

🥰Ophelia🥰
I hope you didn't get in trouble, I encouraged you so it would be partially my fault

Me
I'm not sure if I'm in trouble yet. Only time will tell🤷‍♀️

🥰Ophelia 🥰
My grandma is scolding me about being on my phone so I have to go, talk later and I love you❤️

Me
I love you too❤️