"WHAT DO YOU CARE ANYWAYS?"
The shout was unexpected, and even Loki was surprised when it escaped his mouth. But he was still furious.
"Loki, I wish to help. Please, at least let me-"
I do not need your help." Loki spat, interrupting Sif's plea.
The god paced around his room angrily, not knowing what else to break. He was so frustrated! How could petty humans have beat him? How could mere mortals defeat Loki, the God of Mischief? He had everything he needed! The army, the spear, the Tesseract- not to mention the perfect plan. Yet he had still failed.
I failed. The only thought running through his head, over and over and over. I failed, I failed, I failed.
And now the Other is coming for me.
Sif looked worried, though she shouldn't have. They had grown up together, played together, been the best of friends- and then this happened. She shouldn't be worried- she should leave him, leave him isolated from contact with the outside world, other than Thor. But she didn't. Like the warrior she was, she stayed beside him and stood defiant. It should have comforted Loki, that someone else cared. But it didn't.
It disgusted him.
"Why do you care so much?" His voice was quiet, his head pointed at the floor, hand to his chin. He hadn't meant this in a mean way. He was merely curious. Sif slid off of his bed and walked over to him, dodging the broken shards of his belongings.
"Because I worry. I worry that the Loki I knew- the Loki that is still down there somewhere, deep, deep down- will one day flare and fade forever. I wish to keep that from happening." She pulled him into a a romantic one. She hugged him like someone might hug a friend who was moving, but they didn't want them to. A hug that filled the void of talking, that talked for them.
When they pulled away, Sif had tears in her eyes. She cursed. "I'm a warrior. No one should see me like this."
Loki chuckled. "Lady Sif, I have seen you like this before many times."
"I was a child then."
"It was two years ago."
They both started laughing. And once they started, they couldn't stop. Eventually, they ended up on the floor, clutching their sides. Sif rolled over the same time that Loki did, and they accidentally came to face each other, their lips dangerously close. Loki could smell her hair, the scent of Magnolia and Lavender. He could see the crease lines around her lips, that showed she smiled often. And the God of Mischief also could see his reflection in his eyes. He looked... happy. Happier than he had ever been in the last year. His hair was once again short, and he was wearing normal Asgardian clothing, as opposed to his armor.
"I am surprised, Liesmith." Sif interrupted his thoughts with a gleaming bright smile. "I thought you could not care for a woman."
Her comment took him by surprise, and his reply did just the same. "You know that's not true."
"Let us see then."
Then she grabbed the back of his head and pulled it forward, his lips crashing into hers.
Sif was right.
The Loki she knew, the old Loki, the good Loki, was still there, buried down deep inside him. But she helped him retrieve it.
She saved him.
