~~~Catherine's pov~~~
I was on the ground, still sobbing when I heard the cell door open.
It was probably Whitehall coming back to finish me off.
After Loki... After what happened, they increased the torture tenfold. Injecting various chemicals into my body, making me feel as if I was on fire. Slashing my arms, legs, and torso, and then pouring some kind of liquid over me to make it burn even more.
I had no clue if they wanted to keep me alive or kill me and get it over with.
Sadly, it probably wasn't the latter.
"What do you want? What could you possibly want?" I asked, voice breaking, not bothering to look up from my position on the blood-splattered floor.
"Catherine, it's me."
My heart stopped at the voice.
His voice.
I looked up, rage filling my chest as I stared up into the face of an imposter. "It's not enough that you killed him; now you're making it seem like he's still here. This is a new low, Whitehall." Tears poured from my eyes as I tried to back away from the man pretending to be Loki.
His eyes filled with some kind of confusion and stepped closer. "No, it's really me, I promise. You have to believe me."
I cried harder, the grief hitting me hard in the chest. "You're not him! You're not him! Stop trying to mess with my head. It won't work. You killed the man I loved! I watched him die!"
~~~Loki's pov~~~
The world seemed to go in slow motion as I heard her say those words.
She... She loves me...
I couldn't tell if she really meant it or not. I mean, she did think I was dead. She's not thinking clearly.
On the other hand...
No. That's ridiculous.
But it could be possible...
Thor! Get out of my head!
~~~Flashback~~~
~~~Right before Thor left for Asgard~~~
I was walking with Thor to where the BiFrost would take him back to Asgard when he pulled me aside.
"I know you hate it when I ask questions, but please, just answer this one before I must return home." He pleaded.
What could he possibly want to know?
I rolled my eyes before answering. "Fine. But just the one."
His eyes lit up at my response. "What's going on between you and Lady Catherine?"
I froze, not expecting that question, of all things.
"What exactly makes you think there's anything going on?"
"I've seen the way you look at her. Brother, if I'm being entirely honest, I haven't seen you this happy since you were a child. You can't hide this from me. Answer honestly."
I guess my brother isn't as much of an idiot as I initially thought.
"She makes me happy, fine. That doesn't mean anything." I insisted.
"But do you like her as more than a friend?" He pressed.
"Do I need to remind you that you were only allowed one question?" I tried to shut down whatever this was.
"That's not an answer." He ignored me.
I sighed. "Even if I did, it's only been two weeks. You can't develop feelings for someone that fast."
Thor had stopped breathing at this point in our tedious conversation.
"How did you two meet?" He asked suddenly. "Was it random?"
"I suppose so, yes. But I don't see what that has to do with any-"
"And did you find yourself thinking about her constantly, even though you just met her? Was there a pressure-like feeling in your chest that only seemed to go away when she was around?"
My eyes widened as I realized where he was heading with this. "Thor, no-"
"She's your soulmate! You found her!" He cheered happily, jumping up and down like a moron.
"Thor, if you mention this to anyone, I won't hesitate to make you regret it for the rest of your life." I threatened.
This new development shook me to my very core. Soulmates were exceedingly rare, only happening every few millennia or so. It was far-fetched that Thor was right, anyway.
For now, I should focus on taking the first small step.
And that was to ask her out tonight.
~~~End of Flashback~~~
As much as it pains me to say it, Thor may be right. It's the only thing that makes sense.
That feeling that started back when we first met, had gradually faded, and then completely disappeared once we had finally kissed.
That's exactly what is supposed to happen when you find your soulmate.
"How can I prove it to you?" I was getting desperate now, especially if what I had just discovered was true.
"You can't. Anything you say will be a lie. For all I know, before you killed him, you got a brain scan of his memories." She glared at me icily through tear filled eyes.
The distrust and pain in her face hurt me to a degree I didn't know possible.
She really believed I was dead.
Just when all hope seemed lost, I got an idea. It was risky and this was not at all how I wanted to tell her, but it was all I had.
I gently placed my hands on her shoulders, successfully gaining her attention. "This isn't something in my memories. I've never said what I'm about to say out loud before. Whitehall was right about one thing. I love you, Catherine Stark. I love you." I confessed, putting emphasis on the word, hoping to get through to her.
Her eyes widened as she took a sharp breath in. "Loki? It's really you?" She stated more than asked, her tears of sadness turning into tears of joy.
I nodded, smiling in relief, pulling her into a tight hug, careful not to touch any of her injuries.
"I love you too, Loki Laufeyson." She cried happily into my shoulder and I could practically hear the smile in her voice.
~~~Catherine's pov~~~
He was alive. He was alive, and he loved me. And I loved him.
This certainly wasn't how I wanted to tell him, but I'm glad I said it nonetheless.
"I held out hope that you survived, but after the first day, I just..." I trailed off, drying my tears as I pulled away from him.
He looked at me, confused. "First day? How long has it been?"
"Maybe two days? I'm not sure. You can't exactly keep track of time in here. Especially since there are no windows." I explained, gesturing around the room.
His eyes widened in panic. "We need to go. Now."
"Well, obviously. I don't want to stay here another minute. But why do you seem so anxious? What happened? Did James-" A million possibilities ran through my head. What happened after Hydra took me?
"He's fine." Loki assured me. "And so are your father, Rogers, and Wilson. But before I came to find you, Barnes talked about other Winter Soldiers. The doctor was trying to figure out where they were being held."
My heart raced. And not just because Loki had told me he loved me. Although it was a factor.
Those soldiers can't get out.
"Loki, if he gains control over those soldiers, everything is gone. Everything. Those guys are even more lethal than James."
"I know. He mentioned that. And we won't let the doctor get control, I promise. We just have to find a way out of here-" He was interrupted when a group of eight Hydra agents busted down the cell door.
You have got to be kidding me.
~~~Loki's pov~~~
I quickly helped Catherine to her feet and held her behind me. She was still weak from what Hydra did to her earlier.
"I wonder. How long did it take you to figure out I wasn't Daniel Whitehall?" I asked the agents curiously.
"We found his body in his office. Now, step away from the witch." The guard in the very front ordered, pointing a gun at us.
"I don't think so, no." I shook my head before turning slightly back to her. "I'll take the four on the right,"
"I'll take the four on the left." She finished, smirking happily.
I turned back to the guards and conjured up two daggers. "You might want to run." I teleported in front of one of the guards and slit his throat while stabbing the one beside him in the chest.
I looked to the left and saw Catherine steal a guard's gun and shoot him in the head with point perfect accuracy. Another guard ran up behind her, but she put him in a chokehold before he got too close.
The remaining four guards ran out the door, hoping to escape.
I chuckled at their hope to make it out of this alive and stepped out into the hallway, using a blast of magic to kill them as they ran.
They deserved worse.
~~~Catherine's pov~~~
I'll admit, that felt a little too good.
But they kinda deserved it.
"So, Whitehall's dead? You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you?" I asked Loki when he walked back over to me.
"I did. I thought you would appreciate it if I gave him a painful death. Was I correct?" He raised a brow with a small smirk.
"I would have appreciated it more if I was the one to kill him, but yes. Thank you." I smiled before kissing him softly.