"Fuck this," You stand suddenly making Loki grab to stop you. "What are you doing??"
"You can't tell them," he whispers.
"Loki, this will clear your name instantly!"
"They won't believe me, Y/n, they won't," he tugged you back onto the bed. "No one ever does, that's the price to pay for being the god of lies,"
"We have two assassin's who can easily spot lies, a witch who can read your mind and your brother who would know when you're lying,"
"That oaf can't trust his own gut, I've betrayed him too much," a look of almost regret swiped across his face.
"Then we have the other three, and me,"
"You? You really believe me?" That seemed to shock him most of all. "Why? Because you brought me to my most vulnerable so you find me trust worthy?"
"Just because you fucked me doesn't mean I would trust you, the only confirmation I need is how your eyes look when telling the story," you scoot closer and took his hand. "So trust me on this like I trust you,"
"Why? Of all your options on how to act towards me, you choose this,"
"I'm not taking pity, I'm not giving mercy, because you don't need that sort of thing, what you need is a proper chance at redemption and the first step to that is proving your innocence," cautiously raising your hand to his cheek, he was hesitant but accepted the comfort. You lean up and kiss his forehead before embracing him.
"Thank you,"
~~~
You exited Loki's room, looking and assuring him once more; the team was waiting considering you got FRIDAY to call them. "What is it now?" Tony shined a bolt in his hand which slowly clasped into a metal orb.
"Why were you in Loki's room for so long?" Nat gives a suggestive brow raise.
"Because I was listening to the reason for 2012,"
Thor sat upright with a crinkled forehead. "What do you mean?"
"I know why he tried to take over New York... where he got the scepter, why he needed the tesseract and why..." you looked right to Thor. "He survived the fall,"
Thor's eye lids lowered, mouth open slightly as tears welled up. Memories of the moment he thought his brother died flashing through his mind. "He told you..."
"Everything," your throat turned dry as the group looked concerned at the exchange.
"He could have lied to you, so get him to cut the crocodile sulking and come out here," Cap clicks his tongue.
"If he doesn't want to, you can't force him, Steve," you step up to meet his stance.
"The hell I can, he nearly destroyed the city, and if he has an excuse then he better man up and say it himself," Steve barked back making you deadpan to the others.
Snapping back to Steve you scoff. "You know how hard it is to retell trauma? Try retelling to the group how you watched Bucky fall to his apparent death, that's how Thor would feel... now forcing Loki to do this is like getting Bucky to recount his time at Hydra,"
"It's fine," Loki held both hands behind his back at the foot of the hall. "I've done it once, I can do it again,"
"Go ahead," Cap sits back down as you rush to Loki.
"You don't have to, Loki,"
"A retelling is only the most genuine from the source, correct?" He laughs sourly. "Well, if you must know..."
~~~
"I suppose that's the full retelling to the point of my defeat," Loki finally looked up from his temporary averted gaze to the group with pursed and final lips.
Tony ran a regretful hand over his face as Bruce turned to him with a shaky breath. Cap looked down in shame as Bucky met eyes with Loki in a shared look of pain and support best as he could muster. Sam bit on his lower lip in contemplation, seeing Clint do the same, the Hawk was regretting every word of insult as well as aggression.
Wanda could feel the pain seep from every word Loki spoke, her eyes welling up until tears traced along her cheeks, Vision there to hold her. Peter was already in tears alongside Pietro who tried his best to be strong for his sister, hating to for her to see him in such a weak state.
Nat looked over Loki, searching for a lie before looking to the roof to hold back tears and replacing it with a shaky breath. Finally, Thor shook his head, walking to his brother in shame for not being able to protect as he had promised centuries ago as children.
"I'm sorry, Loki, I'm sorry for not being there," Thor pulled back. "I said I would save you from pain, and I haven't done that, I've broken your trust,"
"As I have yours multiple times," the trickster chuckled to mask the pain. "For the personal attacks on you, I take responsibility for that, what I said was just to give reason to why I was unable to stop it all when I wanted to,"
"Don't." Tony stood. "Don't blame yourself. Yes, the destruction you casued can't be taken back but it wasn't your fault in the slightest. When you don't have a choice then it isn't your fault,"
The group was quick to agree, Loki looking awkwardly from all the forgiveness he was certain he was to be asking for to you. You smile comfortingly which he sighs at, nodding again.
"Thank you,"
~~~
:,)
- Anna ❤️