Loki knew Vanessa was there, but he didn't acknowledge her presence. He sat on the edge of his bed, with his head in his hands. The servants' beautiful daughter climbed onto his huge four-poster bed behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling her head into his shoulder. She moved her lips near his ear and whispered gently, "What did Odin blame you for this time, Loki?
"Nothing. I- I went to Midguard… It's just that-"
"You missed your brother. I understand."
She reached for his hand, simultaneously planting a kiss on his left cheek. Loki's punishment for attempting to take over Midguard had been life in the dungeon, until Vanessa convinced Frigga to let him out after 15 years. She swore that she could help him change his ways. Frigga had agreed, but Odin banned him from ever leaving castle grounds again for the duration of his life.
Loki turned around to gaze at his only childhood friend aside from Thor. She had grown from the little twelve-year old he remembered to a beautiful, strawberry blonde young woman. Her pale blue, almost grey eyes gazed at him compassionately. Those eyes had managed to melt his heart the first time he saw her. She had been sitting atop the tallest shelf in the library, reading an old dusty tome. They had been friends since.
She smiled sadly at him and squeezed his hand. Loki realized that their fingers were entwined.
"You know you can't leave castle grounds, Lokes, or-"
"I KNOW!" he roared, standing up and whirling around to face the window. Vanessa jumped. He leaned against the windowsill. He sighed, deflated after his explosion, and turned to face the woman. She sat on the bed with her hands folded in her lap, looking at him expectantly.
"Sorry…" he murmured, trailing off. She just nodded in understanding. All Loki had ever wanted was to be his older brother, Thor's, equal. He had just gone about it the wrong way. Trying to take over Midguard had gained him attention from Thor, but not the kind he pined for. While he was waiting to return to Asgard to live out his punishment, Thor had given him a Look. A Look of pure disappointment and remorse that caused Loki much, much more inward pain than he would ever begin to let show externally.
Vanessa saw the glazed appearance of Loki's eyes that she knew meant he was thinking about the Look. She had been the only one he told. She recalled the memory rather vividly. Loki, curled up on his bed sobbing almost inconsolably. Her, wrapping her arms around him until the last of the tears stopped. Then he had spilled it all to her. She spent the night in his quarters, running her hands through his hair. Nothing else, just holding him. And that was all he needed. She stood and pulled him into an embrace. He hugged back gratefully.
"You're making me soft." he murmured into her hair. Her head fit just below his chin.
"You've always been soft," she countered, looking up into his bottomless green eyes and smiling. He shrugged, agreeing with her. And before Vanessa knew what was going on, Loki was kissing her. Not an overly hard or rushed kiss, just a sweet, slow, passionate one. She ran her hands over his shoulders and clasped them behind the nape of his neck. The outside world slowly melted away.