Once again, I could not decide which POV to do for this scene so I did both! I hope you enjoy Loki's and Amora's view of this moment!
L O K I
Her face seemed to steal all words and thoughts from him. The Silvertongue was rendered speechless as his mind struggled to compute the reality of her presence.
Loki could barely register the flicker of softness that passed over her impassive face, and, for a moment, he ached to draw her close and feel the familiar warmth of her embrace.
Then his mind came back into focus and kicked into its automatic, defensive mode. The smirk returned and he once again opened his mouth to greet her.
But before he could get a single word out, Amora held up a firm hand, effectively silencing him. "I am not here for bickering or banter, Loki."
She cast a quick glance down the hall before taking a few steps towards him and drawing her holopad from the bag slung over her shoulder.
"I am not technically supposed to be here," she added under her breath.
Loki almost jumped as she held the device near him but relaxed when it only pulled up a view of his bones and internal organs. Her eyes were analyzing the screen, allowing him time to analyze her just as intensely.
Physically, she had not changed aside from the lack of any obvious limp. Her uniform suggested a promotion to head healer. However, what struck him most was her demeanor.
Any other healer would cower away from Loki and the old Amora would fretfully worry over him, but this woman stood within arm's length with such a calculating mask that he could not fight the amused smile that creeped onto his face.
"Amora, are you defying a direct order from Odin," he teased, recalling Vanna's mention of the Allfather's words.
"I am fulfilling my duties as dungeon healer," she countered pointedly, before reaching out and pressed on his offending side.
The abrupt and sharp pain made him gasp for air and flinch away as his vision blurred. When the stars faded from his eyes, he saw her typing furiously on the holopad. Her brow creased by an intense frown.
"You still have three broken ribs," she muttered.
Upon catching his breath, Loki pressed on with his argument. "You would never have taken such a risk before."
"Well," she looked up and coolly met his eyes, "we have both changed, Loki."
Her comment only elicited a smile as he almost leaned forward to receive yet another barrage of rebukes. A small part of him was terrified of her words, but he snuffed it out. Inciting frustration was one of his favorite forms of entertainment, especially since being locked in a cell.
However, after a beat of silence, Amora's gaze went back down to her work. Loki almost huffed.
"Is that all?" he asked, "Do you have nothing else to say to me?"
With a sigh, Amora lowered the holopad to her side and looked up at him. "I have plenty to say to you, Loki. But what difference will my words make? You have already heard them a hundred times from other people."
He let out a short laugh. "So that's it?" his voice was low and taunting, "You're just giving up? I thought you were better than that."
"I am not giving up," she gritted out before taking a relaxing breath and continuing calmly, "I am letting go."
Loki opened his mouth with a retort but her next words silenced him, "I waited for you to come back," she began softly, but her voice hardened, "and when you did, you only brought pain and death."
She simply shook her head; her eyes clearing as though reaching a sudden realization. "I'm done waiting."
Then, without the barest glance at him, Amora turned and walked through the barrier. Loki could only watch as she walked briskly down the hall. Part of him was screaming at him to call out to her, to win her favor once more, but the more stubborn part of his mind crushed that thought. The god of mischief would not apologize; he refused to show such weakness.
Loki knew that he should consider this a victory; one less person to meddle with his life and nag about his actions. But as he leaned back again one of the stark white walls and slid down to the floor, he only felt a crushing weight in his chest as the silence became deafening.
* * *
A M O R A
For a brief moment, Amora almost succumbed to her panic. Her mind was racing almost as fast as her heart as stood just inside the threshold of Loki's cell.
He continued to lie on his bed without making a sound or movement; the barest flicker of his eyes was the only indication that he knew of her--or at least Vanna's--presence. Amora almost hoped that he would ignore her during the entirety of this visit, but she knew that this was a naive hope.
However, he remained motionless, simply staring at the ceiling. Amora felt her resolve away as she observed his state. This was no longer the calm prince of their past. The bags under his eyes contrasted sharply against his pale skin and his sharp features now almost looked sunken. His stillness was not of relaxation; it was tense, as though waiting for something unpleasant.
She mentally berated herself. He had not even spoken a word or given her a glance and she was already rendered frozen
I must do this, she told herself, It is the only way.
Nevertheless, this did not alleviate her nerves. Even though her intentions were for the good of her patients, the facing Loki alone and directly terrified her.
After what felt like an eternity, Loki's green eyes fell on her. The dark look almost made her shiver as annoyance passed over his face. With a loud sigh, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. But it lacked the smoothness of his usual movements and his stiffness was not lost to her.
He is hurting, Amora thought, feeling her heart ache, watching him keep his face turned as he stood with only a slight tremble.
Amora hesitantly let her illusion fall and Vanna's image disappear, tensing up as Loki straightened. His posture and air of confidence returned and as he turned, his smirk masked whatever pain troubled him.
She braced herself for a sharp comment as he opened his mouth, but he froze as soon as their eyes met. Whatever fire that had been in his gaze died as he stood their with his mouth agape. A thick silence filled the air as they stared at each other; only Amora's pounding heartbeat filled her ears.
Amora struggled to hide her inner turmoil as Loki took in her presence. Whatever she had planned to say escaped her and she could only stand there dumbly.
Hundreds of scenarios raced through her mind. How would he greet her? What would his first words to her be?
Would they be of warmth? She could hardly act chummy with a convicted murderer.
Remorse? This would certainly test her strength.
Pain? Whatever fortitude remained safeguarding her heart would be absolutely destroyed.
Cruelty? She was not sure if she would be able to hold back any biting remarks over his actions.
As his eyes finally focused and he opened his mouth, she realized that she did not want to know; she could not give him the upper hand.
So she immediately held up a hand to silence him. Surprisingly, it worked; he stopped, taken aback at her abruptness. Taking a few steps to cross the open cell, she said curtly, "I am not here for bickering or banter, Loki."
No longer wanting to meet his piercing gaze, she fetched her holopad. Loki flinched when she held it up to view his organs and Amora's felt a pang in her heart. What could possibly make him think that she would harm him?
But the image on the transparent screen quickly took her focus and his current behavior became less important. There was still remaining evidence of a severe beating. Amora could not help but be impressed by whatever being of Midgard was able to inflict such damage to Loki who enjoyed the regenerative abilities of the Jotuns.
However, with Asgard's healing methods, these wounds should have been treated long ago. While they were now attempting to heal, the damage had already been allowed to remain for far too long.
"Amora, are you defying a direct order from Odin," his taunting voice pierced her thoughts.
And there was her answer. He opted for distant antagonizing, one of his common defenses to insecurity and discomfort.
"I am fulfilling my duties as dungeon healer," she said, finding a small bit of satisfaction as his smug smirk disappeared as she pressed his injured side. However, the severity of the new look on his face turned the feeling to guilt.
"You still have three broken ribs," she muttered.
The pain must be excruciating, Amora thought, considering how long the wound has been allowed to worsen.
But her sympathy was cut short when he pressed, "You would never have taken such a risk before."
Before. Before he left. When she was just a quiet healer trying to keep everyone happy. A swell of bitterness rose in Amora's chest at the thought of Loki considering her weak.
"Well, we have both changed, Loki."
That was an understatement. Over a year ago, Loki was the smarter of the two princes but also the jealous one. Now he was a criminal and a mass murderer. And yet he managed to keep that same infuriating smirk. However, as Amora looked at it now, she realized that it held a colder spark.
Stay focused, she thought, turning her attention back to the holopad. The analysis of his state scrolled at her command, but Loki broke her focus.
"Is that all?" he asked, "Do you have nothing else to say to me?"
Amora took a deep breath to finally speak her mind, but her sharp words only came out as a puff of air. She could not falter so quickly; she could not let him get to her. But she could not simply ignore this topic when it faced her directly at this moment.
"I have plenty to say to you, Loki. But what difference will my words make? You have already heard them a hundred times from other people."
It was true. She could go on and on about how thoughtless and heartless he was to betray his family, to kill those people. But he had probably already received that speech from Thor and Frigga and Odin, and he still stood tall here, reveling in the chaos and discord.
Her words would just ricochet meaninglessly, never truly reaching their target.
Loki let out a short laugh. "So that's it?" his voice was low and taunting, "You're just giving up? I thought you were better than that."
Amora clenched her jaw and snapped, "I am not giving up."
She paused for a beat, taking a deep breath. Calm down. Calm down.
"I am letting go."
The words came out before she had fully comprehended them, but now that they were out, she felt the weight of them. And the rest just flowed out of her before Loki could even reply.
"I waited for you to come back," she said, thinking back on those nights of naive hope and crippling despair.
Then, memories of Heimdall coming to the palace with word of the destruction and chaos on Midgard came to her and she went on, "and when you did, you only brought pain and death."
She had waited on him to see reason when Thor was to be crowned. She had waited on him to return home. But he left, falling into madness, and he came back, bearing only cold remorselessness. If she waited on him again, what would be the result? More sorrow? More pain?
She simply shook her head. "I'm done waiting."
Then, Amora turned and left without a second glance back. Any look at Loki's face, no matter what it revealed, would undoubtably cripple her resolve and threaten her decision.
As soon as Amora was far from the dungeons, she set her satchel down and leaned heavily against the wall. Looking down at her trembling hands, she took a few deep breaths. Her own words still echoed in her mind. I'm done waiting.
She knew the truth of her statement was undeniable, but it still hurt to speak it, to make it real. Even though she was letting go, Amora more like she had losing something. Her mind may have been at ease when she said those words, but her heart was aching.
Leaning forward with her hands on her knees, she shook her head, trying to get Loki's pained image out of her mind. She could not allow him to take precedence in the concerns of her life.
Focus, she told herself, hoping that saying the word would make it so, Focus. Focus.
But how could she be expected to focus when facing her biggest distraction?
* * *
They have finally spoken officially!! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!