I am beyond elated at the support in the reviews of the first chapter! So elated, in fact, that I really let this chapter drag on till I had written 27 pages :') Just shows that when I'm motivated, I write a heck-ton of words y'all. I would die of happiness if everyone commented like that on every chapter!
Apologies if it felt like there was a long break between this chapter and the last. I've had a few struggles with work and whatnot, but I have been slowly writing bits and pieces every day. The last several pages I wrote all at once today though, because I was so determined to have this up and posted x'D
I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing it! I can't wait to see what everybody thinks!
Daffodils Say We Are Eternal
The air was comfortably warm, even at the higher altitude of the special garden secreted partway up the side of Avengers Tower; Amelia lay reclined against the cushioned wicker bench, contentedly absorbing the light of the sun and feeling the warmth on her face as she watched Loki dutifully water a few of the potted plants in the corner that were looking a little thirsty.
His actions resulted in a smile on Amelia's face; she hadn't asked him to water the plants, he'd simply done so of his own volition when he'd noticed they hadn't got as much water as some of the other flowers.
The garden looked beautiful this time of year, bright and vivid with its many Summer blooms; when Spring had begun towards the beginning of the year, Amelia and Loki had completely cleared out the mess atop the old helipad and started anew on the cultivation of blossoms and florets, making the small plot beautiful again.
A few extra things had been added, too. Amelia had been insistent on hanging up a line of fairy lights and a few lanterns here and there to give the garden a softer mood, plus the illuminations were quite pretty at night, especially lighting up all the different colourful hues from the plants.
Loki himself had whipped up a special magical barrier that kept out the harsher weather; it was invisible - no one could tell it was there - and light rain could still freely pass through it, but it repelled the wind, and kept storms from disturbing the peace, creating a more durable environment that wasn't so easily destroyed.
It had thrived for months now, and it was the perfect place to relax.
It was also the perfect place for picnics, as Amelia had recently discovered. The remains of their lunch, a few flavourful sandwiches and some sultana scones, sat on the low table beside the bench, and Amelia was left very happy at the satiated feeling in her stomach.
With her hunger dealt with, Amelia was left with only one thing on her mind - her pregnancy, and exactly what it meant for her and Loki's relationship.
Amelia glanced up, taking note of the way Loki reached for the petals and leaves of the flowers he was watering, rubbing them gently between his thumb and forefinger as if comforting or apologising to the plant for letting it become dehydrated. It was endearing, even if that wasn't his reasoning for doing so, it was still a sweet little gesture that seemed to convey a sense of understanding that the flowers were alive and in need of care.
Amelia's thoughts rumbled through her head, one hand moving subconsciously to rest over her belly, as she pondered the idea of Loki being a father. He would make a good one, was her immediate thought, because despite what the world saw him as, he was truly very considerate and gentle - with her at least. But the more she thought about it, the more her head filled with doubt. Loki's patience had improved since the beginning of their relationship, but there was still times where he grew visibly frustrated and it revealed exactly what he was thinking on the inside.
Raising a child would most certainly require a lot of patience.
Then there was the most important thing to consider. Did Loki even want children? He was good with kids, if a little awkward when they sometimes padded up to him in the street, pointing at him and staring in awe, but he always made an effort to tolerate them, and the children always seemed happy to talk to him.
The potential was there, Amelia felt, but it was a matter of whether Loki would be willing to go through the no-doubt trying experience of bringing up a child. If that question was answered positively, then she was certain she could face her pregnancy with a little more confidence.
Amelia had spent the last few hours focusing on whether Loki would be a good parent that she hadn't even pondered over her own aptitude to take on the test of becoming a good mother.
She wanted to believe the answer was yes. Amelia had always assumed that upon meeting somebody she fell in love with, children would follow as an inevitable thing, but she supposed in that fantasy that her partner was more than happy for their relationship to head in that direction. She had never considered the possibility of falling so deeply in love with somebody before having any clue of their thoughts on raising children.
Now that it was so terribly relevant, Amelia was too afraid to ask. Too afraid the answer would be anything but yes.
Amelia had always believed that she would end up having children, and she was happy with that idea, but upon taking the time to think about how difficult raising children would be, her happy little predeveloped fantasy was just dust in the wind.
There were so many things to take into consideration. She had suffered from depression and anxiety for most of her life, she knew the grief of losing loved ones, she often let stress too easily get the better of her, and children were tremendously unpredictable. There were all sorts of variables that required contemplation - what if the child was born with a birth defect? Blind? Deaf? What if they had a developmental disorder? What if they were born unhealthy and required serious medical care throughout their entire life? Raising a perfectly healthy child with no physical or mental health defects was enough of a challenge, but there were many things that could make it even more difficult, and Amelia had to understand that they were all possibilities.
Having a child meant loving them and taking care of them regardless of any of those variables; it was a learning process that she would have to stick to and remain determined with, because once the child was born, there was no going back.
Did Amelia feel she could, despite all her struggles in life, stay resolute and strong in this endeavour? Could she look unfaltering in the face of motherhood and push through all the difficult trials ahead of her, and come out on the other side - not necessarily unscathed - but triumphant in her efforts?
Alone, she most certainly could not. But with Loki's help, Amelia felt it was possible.
Now she just needed to figure out how to build up the confidence to tell Loki.
Speaking of which, Amelia was pulled from her flood of thoughts when a shadow blotted out the sun; she gazed up from her relaxed position to find Loki looming over her, his hand held out above her head as he slowly tipped the cup that housed the water he'd used to for the plants.
"No!" Amelia screeched with a flinch, sitting up immediately and covering her head with her arms to avoid getting splashed. Loki began laughing immediately, placing the cup by the remains of their little picnic.
"It's empty", Loki revealed, sitting down beside her and propping his feet up on the low table.
Amelia pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, "That was mean."
"It was funny."
"No."
"Yes."
"Nope." Amelia shook her head, raising her chin with indignation.
"How are you feeling, anyway?" Loki enquired, shifting closer and wrapping his arm around her, hand resting at her waist. Of course, it was a very Loki-like tactic to immediately turn on the charmed concern when he knew he had made Amelia grumbly.
Not that it didn't always work. Amelia immediately forgot about the little prank and leaned against Loki's side, making herself comfortable yet again in the heat of the sun.
"I'm feeling alright. Better than I was", the initial shock of discovering her pregnancy had passed, but she still had an underlying feeling of constant butterflies in her stomach, which was not at all fun. "I need to go talk to Bruce, though."
"Why?"
Amelia grew momentarily tense. She needed to go speak to Bruce to confirm his diagnosis, but Loki couldn't know that, and now she had to come up with an excuse on the spot.
"Uhhm… just… he said he had something to help with the, uh, the nausea… because I still get a sicky feeling occasionally…" She kept her gaze on the flowers to her left - a beautiful mix of white and yellow daffodils - and wondered whether or not Loki believed her.
His extended silence seemed to indicate that he did not.
"Is there something wrong with you, Amelia?" Loki enquired after a while, his voice swathed in concern, and Amelia tore her gaze from the daffodils to meet his eyes and shake her head reassuringly.
"No. No, I'm fine", she said, "Bruce says it's just a bug. I'll be fine in a couple weeks", Loki's green gaze eased up slightly, the creases in his forehead becoming a little less defined, and he nodded faintly, so Amelia continued, "but I should probably take it easy with the running, y'know? Try not to exert myself so much…"
"Oh, did Banner say that? Or are you just trying to get out of your training?" The god wondered, a hint of amusement coming back to his face, and the hand on Amelia's waist prodded her in a very ticklish area.
"Gah-! Don't! Do not tickle me", Amelia warned, grabbing his hand and squeezing it to keep it at bay, "I'm just repeating the doctor's orders, so there."
Loki huffed a laugh, shaking his head fondly, "If you say so."
Amelia found Bruce in the main living quarters, in the process of finishing off his lunch; she moved tentatively towards where he sat at the kitchen's centre island, noting that Thor was sitting on the couch watching something on the television. The entire room had been subtly changed, the furniture moved slightly aside to make room for the party floor that would become lively later in the day, and there was a long buffet table that would soon be filled with all sorts of food. The thought made Amelia's stomach rumble and her mouth water despite the fact she had only just eaten lunch - well, pregnancy did cause increased appetite, she supposed.
She gave Thor a brief wave as she passed him, receiving a greeting smile in return, and approached Bruce with a very resigned look; she took a seat beside him and heaved a very heavy sigh.
"I took the test", she proclaimed quietly, and Bruce looked up from his food, a knowing look passing over his face.
"I'm going to assume from that loud sigh that the result was positive", he spoke with a small smile, and Amelia nodded her head, puckering her lips in a pout. "Alright, how about this - I'm going to head down to the lab in a minute, but if you come by soon, we can talk about your options in the privacy of my office, okay?"
Amelia nodded. It was definitely for the best that they headed somewhere in which nobody could accidentally walk in on their conversation about her pregnancy - especially Loki, because Amelia really didn't want him to find out like that.
"Yeah, sounds good", Amelia agreed, casting a glance over her shoulder at Thor, wondering if his advanced hearing was picking up anything they were saying or whether his attention was wholly on the television. A thought occurred to Amelia after a moment - perhaps she could ask Thor about Loki's inclinations towards starting a family, if anyone knew the answer, it would probably be the god who grew up with him. "Yeah, I'll… I'll come down in a little while then", Amelia said, "I'm gonna ask Thor something…"
Bruce finished up his lunch, cleaned up and left the room, flashing her an assuring thumbs-up gesture that didn't really have the desired effect, but Amelia managed to give him a smile before turning back to Thor, searching her brain for a way to not be entirely obvious in her questioning.
She had to be completely inconspicuous if she didn't want Thor to find out the truth.
"Amelia! Are you excited for the party Stark is throwing you?" The God of Thunder spoke up as she wandered towards him, "I heard there's going to be a lot of food", he licked his lips subconsciously, and Amelia gave a soft laugh - she could certainly relate.
"Yeah, it'll be fun", Amelia nodded, but her enthusiasm for a party had strongly declined since she'd awoken that morning, the stirring butterflies in the pit of her stomach left her devoid of gusto, but she was sure that after she'd had a good talk with Bruce, her anxieties would be settled at least somewhat, and she would be able to enjoy her party as she should. "Thor, there's something I need to ask you…"
Thor heard the hesitant note in her voice, grabbed the remote to mute the show he had been watching, and then leaned forward slightly in his seat, "Is there something the matter, Amelia?"
Amelia smiled weakly. She couldn't help but notice the way Thor's concern for her matched Loki's so closely; they were both so perceptive of her feelings, and knew that her anxious and hesitant tones of voice always meant something more, that there was a hidden layer of worry she was trying to cover up.
"I'm fine", she assured him, "I was just wondering… this might seem like a random question, but… when you and Loki were younger, did your parents ever expect either of you to… uh, produce heirs?" Her wording was particular, and very unusual on her tongue, but she didn't want to be too transparent in her line of questioning.
Thor cocked an eyebrow, probably thrown off by the question, but then tilted his head in contemplation, "Well, we were always told that either of us could become King, and that whoever did become King would have to continue the royal bloodline. It was certainly expected of us."
Amelia acknowledged the answer with a faint nod, "I see… and did that ever, like, frighten either of you?"
"Frighten?" Thor chuckled, "Of course not! The thought of having children is exciting! Oh, the things I could teach them…" His face fell slightly, "I don't think I would be having children any time soon, however." His response did not entirely answer Amelia's question - it was clear that Thor found happiness in the idea of having a family, but Amelia wasn't so sure the same could be said for Loki.
"Still can't find a date, huh?" Amelia spoke apologetically. It was no secret that Thor often found himself feeling lonely, and even after so long, the god still hadn't met somebody who wasn't swayed by his status as an Asgardian king and member of the Avengers.
"No, no, I can find many dates, but none I would describe as successful", a sheepish looked passed over his face and his shoulders rose and fell as he sighed.
"You'll find someone", Amelia gave him an assuring pat on the bicep, "but, ah, has Loki ever expressed any desire to… to have children?" She hoped her pressing of the subject wasn't as suspicious as it sounded in her head, but the twitch in Thor's brow suggested otherwise.
The God of Thunder looked pensive for a moment, not letting his eyes stray from Amelia's face, and she became fidgety below his scrutinising gaze, curling in on herself without her permission. A plethora of microexpressions flickered over Thor's face, namely a countenance of musing, curiosity, and studiousness that eventually culminated in one thing - a look of staggered surprise.
Thor jumped up from the couch, "Are you with chil-!?" His sharp exclamation was quickly silenced as Amelia's hand clamped tightly over his mouth, muffling the rest of his enquiry. The god's eyes were wide and he blinked rapidly as he realised his supposition had to be true if it garnered such a response from her.
"Do you want to shout that a little louder, Thor? I think a few people in Australia still might not have heard you!" Amelia snapped swiftly between her gritted teeth, her eyes conveying a serious warning - that speaking so loudly about the subject would not be a good idea. Thor's facial hair tickled her palm, a startling sensation that made her quickly retract her hand, but she just as hastily wagged a finger in his face. "You be quiet, okay? Nobody can know, not yet."
Thor blinked sheepishly, but his mouth was already stretching into the widest grin she had ever seen on his face, "So it is true? You are with child?" Thor enquired with hushed excitement, "I'm going to be an uncle?" The concept brought a sparkling shine to his mismatched eyes, and then it seemed to impossibly go a step further, "Loki's going to be a father?"
"Will you slow down? Someone could walk in!" Amelia shushed him abruptly, and quickly covered her stomach with her arms when she noticed Thor was gawping at her, "Quit looking at my belly! I'm not even showing yet." She was already annoyed that Thor had figured it out, she didn't want anybody else to get an accidental clue, and speaking so openly about it in the goddamn communal living quarters was not going to help.
"Amelia, why are you looking so down? You should be beaming, this is wonderful", Thor insisted, clearly a whole lot more excited about the revelation than she was.
"Because, Thor, it's fucking terrifying!" Amelia hissed, and then quickly peered back over her shoulder worriedly toward the door. There was nobody there, they were alone in the room, but Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that somebody was going to walk in at any moment. She sighed, motioning for Thor to sit back down on the sofa so she could sit beside him and speak more quietly.
"I've always wanted a baby, don't get me wrong, but, I don't know if that's what Loki wants", Amelia whispered softly, "So I've been freaking out for a few hours, not knowing how I'm gonna break it to him."
Thor looked as though he was about to say one thing, but then performed a double take and said something else instead, "Loki doesn't know yet?"
"No! I only just found out this morning", Amelia chewed at her bottom lip, "I just don't know how to tell him."
Thor squinted with confusion, "What do you mean, Amelia? You can just tell him-"
"No, I can't", Amelia gave an exasperated sigh, running her hands down over her face, "What if he doesn't want children? What if the thought of having kids is scary to him and he reacts badly and panics and decide he doesn't want to be with me anymore and-"
"Amelia." Thor firmly spoke her name, cutting her hysteric rant short, and Amelia felt her face flush at how quickly her emotions had spiralled off and dreamt up anxiety-inducing scenarios, "Do you truly think Loki would leave you just like that? After what you've been through together?"
Amelia wrung her hands in her lap, gazing at the floor below her feet, "...No, but-"
"But nothing", the god declared, his smile warm and reassuring, "Loki loves you. He wouldn't abandon you, but I feel you must tell him the truth as soon as possible. Don't wait too long."
Amelia sighed, giving a weak nod of her head in acknowledgement of his words, which she knew in her heart were true, but she couldn't help but feel wary - the weight of her own doubts didn't help. Being pregnant was a scary thing. She didn't know if she was ready.
"I guess you're right", Amelia murmured, "I'll… I'll tell him tonight, after the party ends", she nibbled at the inside of her cheek for a few moments before pinning Thor with a fierce stare, "If you tell anyone, I swear to god-"
"I won't!" Thor threw his hands up in defense, lips curling in amusement, "I promise, I won't tell anyone", his grin grew three sizes, the excitement still twinkling in his gaze, "Have you thought about names yet? What will you call the child? Do you know the gender?"
"Thor, I don't even know how far along I am", Amelia said curtly, rather bushed by the onslaught of questions she couldn't possibly know the answer to, "I've known for a couple hours at most. Thinking of baby names really hasn't been the most pressing matter in my mind." She stood up, exhaling loudly, trying to rid the wobbly feeling in her stomach with a groan, but it just didn't work. Nothing was going to quell her nerves.
Her muscles were still aching from her run earlier, but she pushed herself to move, deciding she would speak to Bruce in private, "I need to go speak to Bruce about it, see if he can give me some advice to stop me from feeling so anxious-" She sucked in a breath quickly as Loki swept into the room, catching his gaze and feeling her stomach immediately drop with the fear that he had heard her conversation with Thor.
"Anxious about what?" Loki enquired, eyebrows narrowing inquisitively.
Amelia stared with her mouth agape, shaking her head dumbly as her brain struggled to generate some sort of excuse that would make sense in context and give nothing away, but no such evasion occurred.
"Anxious about turning thirty!" Thor exclaimed, saving her from blundering silence, "Amelia was just telling me that she is nervous about growing older, and how much different her life will be now that she's out of her twenties and into her thirties", the god smiled, his tone incredibly believable, and Amelia was utterly grateful that he had saved her from her awkwardness. She would have to thank him later.
"Yeah", Amelia finally confirmed, "Yeah, I'm just getting butterflies about it, y'know? About what will change... heh…" She rubbed the back of her neck, her gaze twitchy and unable to hold Loki's stare for too long.
One of Loki's eyebrows held a fine arch. "Nothing has to change", the god stated, his voice bland in his response, suggesting he did not understand Amelia's anxiety over the fact, and Amelia shrugged her shoulders, giving him a nervous smile.
"It's uh… it's a mortal thing…" It was a phrase she usually used when she didn't know how to explain a quirk or fascination that was entirely normal for a human to experience, but seemed utterly ridiculous in Loki's eyes, but this time, Amelia hoped it would dissuade Loki from asking anymore questions.
Loki performed his hallmark 'humans are weird' slow eye roll, but blessedly did not ask Amelia to elaborate; instead, he stepped aside to let Amelia move past him. She did so, this time with a more genuine smile, and brushed her fingers affectionately against his hand as she stepped out of the room.
Amelia took a breath as she continued on down the hall, heading for the elevator that would take her to the lab. It had been a close call - if Loki had arrived in the room just a few moments prior, he would have gotten an earful of Amelia's dilemma, and her secret would've been discovered. She didn't want to think about how the god could've reacted, especially given that Thor knew the truth before him - that would probably bother Loki to an extent; but in her own defense, she hadn't told the God of Thunder, he had figured it out on his own.
Nevertheless, she needed to be careful about the things she said out loud, especially when there were sharp ears about.
Amelia found herself before the lab entrance before she knew it, peering through the clear glass to find Tony and Bruce hunched over a table showing holographic imagery of something or other - she wasn't a big technology whiz, and to her, it just looked like random shapes and symbols and letters and numbers. Amelia smiled and tapped the button to alert them to her presence outside; Tony and Bruce liked to keep their work private, and as such, nobody but the two of them had unconditional access to the room, plus there were sometimes dangerous experiments happening within the walls of the lab, so really it was more of a safety precaution to ensure that someone didn't just walk into the room amid some awry testing of electrical equipment.
The two men were pulled from their work. Tony waved to her while Bruce moved to authorise her access at the control panel on one of the desks, and once she was given the thumbs up, she placed her hand against the scanner, which identified her handprint and granted her entry.
Two door slid open and she walked in, smiling at Tony in greeting; she waved her hands in the general direction of the holographic image between them and said, "What're you guys working on?"
"Just analysing the calculated equations for propulsion on our new intergalactic ship", Tony responded, "Wanna make sure everything's solid for the first test-flight next week." He twiddled a pen in his hand and then tapped something on the holographic table.
"That's great!" Amelia exclaimed, only partially understanding what that meant - something about making the ship go - but eager to respond supportively regardless.
"I'll be over in just a minute, Amelia. You can wait in my office if you want", Bruce spoke, turning to a monitor to do a few final things so that when he came to speak with Amelia, he could give her his undivided attention.
"Sure", Amelia responded, catching the look of curiosity on Tony's face, but the CEO didn't voice his inquisitiveness, clearly understanding the matter was private. Amelia was grateful, she didn't want to have to lie to anyone else, and if Tony found out, well, she felt that the man would make a big deal out of it, which would lead to certain individuals becoming aware of her secret.
He would find out eventually, of course, but Amelia hoped it would be amidst a happy announcement from both herself and Loki - and only when they were ready to tell everybody else. It both irritated and warmed her that Thor had discovered her secret by himself, though perhaps she hadn't been as subtle as she thought; the look of utter delight in Thor's eyes had been… sweet. It was clear the God of Thunder was elated at the idea of having a little niece or nephew around - he would be a good uncle.
If only Loki were to react similarly to his brother - to see his eyes swimming with excitement over the news, that would be a pleasure to witness, and it would placate each and every one of her fears.
Partway through ambling towards Bruce's office, a soft gleam caught the left edge of Amelia's peripheral vision, and she blinked a few times fast, her gaze settling on a table of weird-looking scrap metal and flashy, other-worldly trinkets. It was an odd collection of strange things, presumably something to do with Tony and Bruce's work - perhaps they were using the materials to build their new ship?
Regardless, the glow was exuding from a round object that seemed to have fallen from the table. It looked like a glow-in-the-dark bouncy ball, radiating a green luminous light, and was small in size, just enough that she could probably grip it in the palm of her hand.
Before she knew what she was doing, she was bending down to pick it up.
And then, she was lying down, staring up at a white ceiling, her mind foggy and struggling to connect the pieces of what had just happened. It was unnerving and confusing, to suddenly go from standing to a reclined position in a split second, with no knowledge of how it happened.
Hold on. The lab ceiling wasn't white. It was grey.
Where was she?
"Amelia, can you hear me?" Bruce appeared so suddenly in her vision that Amelia practically flinched, scrambling to sit up in alarm as her brain seemed to catch up with her that something wasn't entirely right.
"What? What happened?" She stammered, perturbed and twitchy.
The first thing she noticed was that there were others in the room - Tony, Thor and Loki - and the second thing she noticed was that she was in the infirmary, lying in a hospital bed, which only further rattled her already muddled thoughts.
"You passed out", Bruce helpfully supplied, "about half an hour ago." There was a knit in his eyebrows, and Amelia couldn't tell if it was concern, or that he was trying desperately to figure something out. Or both.
Loki and the others were clearly concerned; the God of Mischief hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she'd sat up, and matched with his unblinking gaze and crossed arms, not to mention the stern countenance he was displaying, Amelia couldn't help but worriedly think that Bruce had perhaps let slip some sensitive information about her… condition.
She halted that thought immediately. Bruce was a professional, he wouldn't break his promise of confidentiality just because she fainted.
Amelia felt an uncomfortable sensation trail down her spine as she looked back to Bruce, "Is everything okay? -I mean, am I okay?" She hoped he would glean from the tone of her enquiry that she was more concerned about what was going on inside her rather than sustaining a few inconsequential bruises.
"It would seem so", Bruce responded, his lip twisting as he scrutinised her, "But there is no reason for you to have passed out. You're not dehydrated, your blood pressure is normal…"
Amelia frowned, her eyes finding Thor, who looked uneasy, glancing between her and Loki; there was perhaps an extra layer of concern marring his features given his knowledge of her condition.
"Did you see something flash?" Tony finally spoke up, his hands positioned on his hips, but Loki interjected before Amelia could speak.
"You keep talking about a flash as if that would have anything to do with Amelia's health", the god sounded agitated, his statement implying that Tony had been nattering on about it for the past half hour.
"Well, it might", Tony faced Amelia again, "we saw a flash of light- we thought something had short-circuited… we hardly had time to turn around before we heard you thud against the floor. Did you touch something in the lab?"
Amelia blinked, her mind still frazzled. A flash of light? She didn't remember anything of the sort. She'd simply been walking towards Bruce's office, passing by the electrical equipment without making contact, and then she'd walked past the table full of strange materials, and-
"Oh." She murmured, and then shook her head when everybody's faces perked up expectantly, "I did touch something, but it was just a ball- or… something… I don't know, it looked like a little green bouncy ball. It was on the floor", she frowned, hoping she hadn't inadvertently destroyed some important experiment that Tony or Bruce had been working on.
Judging by the very blank looks she was receiving, Amelia deduced that none of them men knew what she was talking about. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or unnerved about that fact.
Bruce gave a sigh, lips twinging with a troubled look, "I think it's best we postpone the party later", he spoke regrettably, and Amelia was immediately filled with disappointment. Despite her nerves that day, she had very much been looking forward to a fun gathering with herself and all the Avengers.
"No", Amelia quickly protested, shaking her head, "I feel fine, I swear. I'm-" she cut herself off suddenly, realising at once that she did, in fact, feel fine. Perfectly fine. There were no aches in her muscles or joints as there had been before she'd visited the lab, there was no mild ebbing in the back of head that foretold a throbbing headache, no tiredness or exhaustion clouding her mind. "-Actually, I feel great. Like, really good", she clenched the muscles in her legs and thighs, but was met with no discomfort. It was as if every slight ailment troubling her had just evaporated into nothingness.
Loki stepped forward then, approaching the edge of her bed and cupping her face to draw her attention directly to him. He looked into her eyes with his ever-intense stare, his gaze flickering tentatively over her face in a silent examination, before his eyebrows pinched in an unsettling way.
"I sense… something has changed within you…" The God of Mischief spoke apprehensively, and Amelia's eyes shifted quickly to Bruce, and then to Thor - the two of which also set their sights briefly on each other. Loki did not miss the motion, turning his head to stare heavily at the other men in the room.
Tony was completely out of the loop, his face narrowing in suspicion at everybody, "Is there some sort of telepathic conversation going on here that I can't seem to understand?" He pitched the question with a twirl of his fingers and a jesting tone, but was met with stone-cold silence.
Loki ignored Tony's words, pinning Bruce with his glare, "Why do I get the feeling some important information is being kept from me?"
Amelia felt her body tighten with unpleasant anticipation, expecting the doctor to reveal her secret, but instead Bruce's eyebrows rose up, an irreproachable expression settling on his face before he offhandedly stated, "Paranoia, perhaps? Should I pen you in for a mental health evaluation?"
"Shouldn't we be discussing Amelia's health? Have you discovered the reasoning behind her sudden fainting spell, doctor?" Loki's words were swathed with contemptuousness and anger, and Amelia placed a hand soothingly over the god's by way of calming him down.
"Loki, I feel fine. I still want this party", Amelia pleaded gently, "I've never felt better. Besides, it's not like I'll be by myself at any point this evening. If I start feeling unwell, I'll tell you." Her light words were carefully crafted to appeal, and to sweep Loki's suspicion under the rug.
The god surveyed her for a moment more, before looking pointedly at Bruce.
Bruce shrugged, "If you truly feel fine, then I see no reason to postpone the celebration. But if you feel ill - even the slightest bit odd - at any point in the evening, please let me know immediately."
Amelia smiled and nodded, happiness swelling within her, "You got it, doc."
The clothing Amelia had picked out for her party was a beautiful, purple rockabilly dress - the kind that accentuated her bust and flowed nicely to the middle of her knees with a flared skirt; it was the classic Audrey Hepburn dress that made her feel fancy and old-fashioned - in a good way, of course - and the best part was that Loki had yet to see her in the dress.
The bad part was that Amelia was having second thoughts as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror.
She had tried the dress on before and it had looked perfectly fine then, it had even caused her to buzz with excitement just at the thought of Loki seeing her in it, but now she stood sideways, staring at her stomach which looked inexplicably bigger than it had before. She knew deep down that it was likely just a psychological result of being in possession of the knowledge that she was pregnant, and that she was seeing too much into it, but she felt vexed about it regardless.
She tried to squash those thoughts down. Loki had never made an insensitive comment about her weight, never expressed anything but desire when he looked upon her body, so her mind needed to shut up and quit trying to sabotage itself. She looked fine. She was fine.
She repeated those thoughts in her head as she slipped on her matching purple flats, but that didn't stop her from running her palm down over her belly self-consciously as she finally exited the bathroom.
"Took you long enou-" Loki promptly trailed off the moment he caught sight of Amelia, and she quickly felt that spark of excitement returning as his eyes widened minutely.
Amelia smiled, playing with the sides of her flowing dress as she gave the god a slight half-turn in both directions, showing off her more striking assets. "You like it?" She enquired, pinching the material between her fingers, "I saw it in a shop a month ago and knew I needed it for a special occasion, and plus the colour - well, you're always saying that purple is my colour, so I thought-"
"Shh."
Amelia blinked, eyes widening as Loki approached and pressed a silencing finger to her mouth; she stared up at him questioningly, catching the increased dilation of his pupils and the slight parting of his lips from which he breathed quickened breaths. It was safe to assume he did like it.
"I don't think words can describe how exquisite you look."
Amelia's lip curled shyly, her cheeks growing warm from the compliment; Loki's finger brushed her lip, moving down to tilt her head back the way he always did whenever he was about to lean down and kiss her. Amelia took the few suspended moments to admire the god's formal attire.
Loki had ditched the all-black suit a long while back, choosing instead to wear traditional Asgardian regalia, and it never failed to make Amelia weak at the knees. He looked so handsome, with the leather, the green and gold, the beautiful sewing work; Amelia wished that one day she could wear an Asgardian gown - it would no doubt be extravagant, and make her feel like a rich noble of sorts.
The god before her certainly looked the part of a prince, with his flawless skin, silky black hair, immaculate and beautiful clothes.
She was so smitten.
Amelia's thoughts, without her permission, went back to the unborn baby in her belly; she wondered if it would be a boy or a girl, if they would have Loki's striking green eyes or her more common brown ones, whether their hair would be mostly straight but sometimes wavy like Loki's, or whether their little head of hair would be constantly in utter disarray like her own. Would the baby have Loki's otherworldly gorgeous features, or would they have Amelia's pudgy human face?
When Loki's lips finally pressed to her's, it was sudden and surprising, since her mind had been drifting, but she quickly and urgently kissed back, sighing blissfully from her nose before drinking in the god's subtly minty scent.
Her choice of garb had clearly affected the god, because his kisses were unrelenting and full of imploration for more; his hands explored her body, making her shiver at the heated contact, and tightened on her waist, pulling her closer so his fingers could travel further still. The promise of his touches were tempting, but there wasn't time to mess about right now - they were already late to the party thanks to Amelia's indecisiveness.
Loki's palms dragged down across her hip, roaming lower to her thigh, the thin material of the dress hardly a worthy barrier when it came to keeping the pleasing, ticklish sensations at bay, and Amelia remembered what was hidden there in the same moment Loki discovered it - the Asgardian dagger he had gifted her was sitting innocuous in the sheath against her thigh.
He wasn't supposed to find it until after the party.
"Is that what I think it is?" Loki asked, low and breathy against her lips, and Amelia hummed softly, her mouth curling into a coy smile.
"Mmm. I'd hoped I could surprise you with it later, but you're clearly too eager to put your hands on me", Amelia responded, biting her lip.
"How could I not when you're dressed like this?" The God slowly pulled up the side of her dress, revealing the dark, dangerous weapon against Amelia's creamy skin - a sharp contrast that Loki found particularly delectable, if the hungry look in his eyes was any indication - and he let out a long exhale, holding Amelia's gaze with blatant carnality in his eyes.
"This is incredibly sexy."
Amelia grinned at Loki's admission, "That was the idea, love."
Loki gently bit his own tongue, his gaze flicking to the clock which displayed that they were very much still wasting time and needed to be on their way if they wanted to make a 'fashionably late' entrance to the party instead of a 'rudely late' entrance.
"We don't have time for a quick fuck", the God stated ruefully, and Amelia laughed - a loud, squawking giggle - followed by what she deemed as an unattractive snort. She covered her mouth quickly, her face warming with embarrassment.
"It's fine, I didn't want to get my dress dirty at all anyway. Plus, there will be plenty of time after the party, remember?" Amelia smiled, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of how the night would go on once she and Loki retired to bed, but a sudden thought struck her, pulling the smile from her face at once as she remembered that she was supposed to be telling Loki her secret that evening, preferably as soon as they were alone together.
It would probably have an effect on how the night would play out. She still feared that Loki would not react positively to the news, and her heart palpitated in her chest with anxiety, leaving her somewhat breathless for no visible reason.
The provocative smirk on Loki's face promptly washed away, "Are you alright? Do you feel faint again?" He hands went immediately to her arms to steady her, but Amelia forced a shaky smile, fighting to take control of her emotions, and shook her head.
"No, I'm- I'm fine, really. I don't feel dizzy or anything, I just…" She cleared her throat, "We should head down to the main room now… I'm hungry. I want to eat birthday cake." It wasn't a complete lie, she was feeling rather hungry.
Loki kept a close eye on her as they journeyed out of the room, down in the elevator, and through the corridor that led to the communal room where the celebration was being held; when they walked through the arch into the room, Amelia almost jumped out of her skin as the rest of the Avengers simultaneously exclaimed a loud "Happy birthday!" which forced a squeak of shock from her mouth. Loki was unaffected - it was unclear whether he had known it was going to happen, or if it was simply that difficult to surprise him.
"Thanks for the goddamn heart-attack everyone!" Amelia shouted, but she was laughing all at once, "Did you really have to scare me? This isn't a surprise party!" The edges of the room were lit with neon blue lights, highlighting the gift table - which was piled rather high, to Amelia's amazement - and the buffet table, which was covered with a delightful spread.
Everyone was there, already breaking out the alcohol, it seemed, and they were all smartly dressed. Suits and ties, except for Thor, who was dressed similarly to Loki, save from his colour scheme which was more reds and silvers, while Natasha and Pepper wore a pretty dresses and had their hair done up nicely. There was something utterly wonderful about it - everyone relaxed and ready to party instead of worrying about saving the world one way or another.
Loki brushed his hand against Amelia's arm - a simple gesture of affection - as he wandered to the bar to pick up a drink; everyone else began mingling and doing their thing while Tony got the music started and Bruce approached with sheepish look on his face.
"Sorry about the surprise, I tried to convince them not to do it, but… you know. How are you feeling anyway?" The doctor enquired.
"Pretty good", Amelia responded, "Still great. I think I could dance all night, to be honest", she smiled, certain that Loki would steal her away before she could even think about doing that, "But only after I devour that entire buffet over there."
"Increased appetite?" Bruce remarked quietly, though loud enough to be heard over the music, "That generally doesn't begin until the second trimester, but you're not showing yet", his eyes flickered curiously down to Amelia's stomach, and she shifted her weight between her feet subconsciously.
"Is that… weird?" Amelia frowned.
"Not unheard of, but I think the kicker is that we can't expect this to be like any regular human pregnancy", Bruce murmured, his gaze switching to Loki, "Ah, but, we can talk about that tomorrow", he smiled with undertones of regret, "Just enjoy yourself tonight."
The doctor knew of Amelia's tendency to become overwhelmed by her nerves from time to time, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her worry. Too bad it was too late for that - Amelia was already thinking about Bruce's words and what they could mean. It hadn't really occurred to her before then that her unborn child would be half-Jotun - not that that changed anything regarding how much she would adore the child.
Bruce's uncertainty on how the pregnancy would progress was what caused tension to settle into her muscles.
"What would you like to drink, Amelia?" Loki called across the room over the music, taking back her attention.
"Oh, uh, I'll have a-" She paused half-way through her response, a sudden disappointment befalling her as she remembered that she could not consume alcohol in her condition, "Uh. Just a soda is good." Extremely sugary carbonated beverages probably weren't a good substitute, on second thought, "-Wait, uh, just… fuck. An orange juice? Orange juice is fine."
Bruce looked amused, to Amelia's dismay, but the subsequent reaction from the rest of the group is what really put her in an awkward place.
"No alcohol? What? On your birthday?" Clint was the first to speak up, "You've gotta have alcohol. You're thirty." The furrow of his eyebrow made Amelia pout, as if there was something wrong with her for refusing to drink alcohol during a party.
"I'm just not in the mood for it, that's all", Amelia shrugged.
"Of all the occasions to choose to drink, you turn your nose up at it today", Steve chuckled, "Who's not in the mood to drink on their birthday?"
"Says the guy who can't get drunk", Tony interjected with one quirked brow.
"On regular booze, I can't get drunk. But with Asgardian booze? That's a whole different level, Tony", the captain revealed, shooting Thor a knowing look.
"Hold on. Stars and Stripes gets to drink Asgardian booze, but you don't offer me any?" Tony turned to Thor with an utterly appalled look, "What's the big idea?"
"Trust me, Tony", Amelia spoke up, "It's not that great." Her comment wasn't quite heard, which she didn't mind, because it took the spotlight off of her regarding the mystery as to why she didn't want to drink alcohol while the others bickered about themselves. Amelia smiled at Natasha, who was giving her an odd look as she sipped from her champagne glass, and shrugged it off.
Loki drew near with a glass of orange juice for her, and she took it with a look of gratitude; the god was more enlightened concerning Amelia's history with alcohol, and knew that she only drank sparingly. He most likely attributed her refusal of it to that very fact, and had no reason to question it, luckily. The last thing she needed was Loki growing even more suspicious about her odd behaviour earlier in the day.
The evening began quickly. With the amount of food resting nearby on the table, it wasn't long before everybody hovered over and started picking from the dishes, bowls and platters; Amelia didn't hold back - she grabbed her own plate and piled it with sweet and savoury treats to fill her empty stomach. The pepper poppers were particularly good, though Loki's nose scrunched up in disgust over them - still not a big fan of anything spicy - but he seemed oddly concerned about the amount Amelia was seizing from the dish.
"You better chase that down with a drink, because I'm not going to kiss you until you do", he spoke coolly, and Amelia bit her lip with flagrant amusement.
"Really? What if I don't drink anything for the rest of the night?"
"That would be irresponsible considering you fainted earlier."
"Hey, that wasn't from dehydration", Amelia argued, picking up another pepper popper and popping it into her mouth, "Mmm, delicious!"
Loki's lips twisted with displeasure, "That's repulsive. How can you eat them?"
"They're not that spicy", Amelia laughed, "I'm sure even you could comfortably eat one. Go on, try one", she picked one up and held it up to Loki's face, but the god grabbed her wrist firmly and held it at bay.
"Don't you dare."
Amelia laughed, "Okay, okay", she relented, and Loki released her hand, "But I'm still gonna eat them, because they're yummy."
Loki pursed his lips, "And what would you rather do? Eat those sickening peppers all evening, or kiss me?"
Amelia blinked, pausing mid-chew. She looked down at the colourful plate of pepper poppers, then back to Loki, then down to the plate again.
"It can't be that difficult a decision!" Loki protested, frowning at the length of time it was taking Amelia to answer, but she swallowed her mouthful before breaking into a fit of giggles.
Loki was cute when he was affronted over something so trivial.
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to wash these down with something more to your tastes", Amelia licked her lips, "Oh look, pizza rolls." She hid her grin when Loki rolled his eyes, but shrugged his shoulders in acceptance, and Amelia plucked a few up to place on her plate. "Well, aren't you gonna have some?"
Loki scanned the table of food incisively, before picking up a pizza roll and examining it curiously, "These better taste as good as actual pizza." He took a bite, chewing momentarily, before his eyebrows rose up subtly.
"That's the face of a man who has discovered the joy of pizza rolls right there", Amelia tittered in amusement, watching as the god grabbed his own dish and added a few more, along with some of the other party foods, to his plate.
"Mm", Loki voiced his muffled agreement as he proceeded to stuff his face.
When it came to dancing, Amelia knew Loki was still somewhat… well, shy would probably be the wrong word, but the god was definitely unwilling to show that more vulnerable and playful side of himself around the other Avengers. As such, he refused to cavort to any of the faster songs for fear it would made him look foolish or silly.
Thor had no such problem letting loose, however, so Amelia happily threw herself into an enthusiastic jig to the sound of 'Radio Ga Ga' by Queen, with the God of Thunder as her willing dance partner. And yes, she felt silly and embarrassed, but she also felt undeniably happy and full of joy. Loki truly didn't know what he was missing, if only he could drop the cool, calm and collective front and show everybody that he did know how to have fun.
For a blissful few hours, Amelia forgot about her worries. It would come back once the party finished, but for now Amelia enjoyed herself, watching Tony and Pepper dance together, the sight of Natasha and Bruce enjoying a drink together - not quite here for the dancing scene - and Clint and Steve laughing about something or other by the buffet table.
Loki watched Amelia dance from the sidelines, his arms crossed as he waited impatiently for a slower song to begin so that he could sweep Amelia off her feet and twirl her around and sway in a way that was more his style. Who knew when that would be, though? It was Tony's playlist, and he was a guy who favoured the more upbeat and loud tunes.
"You've been dancing for a while, Amelia. I'm surprised you haven't worn yourself out yet", Thor spoke, and then his eyes flickered down to her stomach, "Especially considering-"
"Shh!" Amelia quickly shushed him, giving him a pointed warning look, and the god smiled sheepishly. "I'm feeling great, honestly", she answered his statement, "I'm only feeling a little outta breath, but I'm not tired at all!"
"Really? Are you sure you don't need a refreshment? Perhaps a drink?"
Amelia blinked, her wild dancing coming to a stop, and she breathed moderately, sending a glance toward the drinks table, "Mmm, yeah, you're right. I'll be back in a minute." She'd been so focused on tearing it up on the dance floor that she hadn't really been paying attention to how thirsty she was - and she didn't want to get dehydrated after her random fainting spell earlier that day.
"You looked like you were having fun out there", Natasha remarked as Amelia approached.
"Hehe", Amelia chuckled bashfully, pushing a few strands of her hair out of the way of her eyes, "Yeah, I guess I was feeling it." She grabbed a glass and the jug of water, pouring herself a drink before downing it in just a few moments.
"You're looking a lot better than last week", Natasha remarked, "Beaming, in fact. Perhaps we'll be able to resume your self-defense lessons this Friday? I think it's time we moved on to some more advanced techniques."
The idea was exciting, because the self-defense lessons Natasha taught her were both fun and educating, and of course beneficial in the long run in case she ever ran into any trouble and nobody was around to get her out of it. The fact that Nat thought she was ready to proceed to more advanced training was also wonderful to hear, but one small misgiving left her unsure.
Amelia needed to talk to Bruce about what kind of exercise she should and shouldn't be doing - she didn't want to do something that could potentially cause harm to her unborn baby, and while it was probably wasn't as big a problem early on in her pregnancy, she didn't want to risk anything.
"Oh! Um… we'll see. Perhaps", Amelia's lip curled as she covertly gnawed it from inside her mouth, praying that she didn't sound stilted, and Natasha returned it with a smile, nodding her head ever so gently.
"Amelia."
Amelia looked up as Loki approached, and she realised with a start that the song had changed. It was 'Rocket Man' by Elton John, and the god clearly approved of its melody enough that he would allow himself to dance to it.
Loki offered his hand, palm facing up, as a determined little smirk appeared on his face, and Amelia felt her cheeks redden with anticipation. She always loved to dance with him - it was one of the most amorous things that Loki often did, especially given that he was wilfully offering the dance within view of all the other Avengers.
It was almost as intimate as a public display of affection, and there was something proprietorial about it that made Amelia's heart beat faster.
She took his hand without hesitation, mouth stretching into a grin as she let him lead her back to the dance floor, and he took position immediately with a hand on her waist, his eyes on her - and her alone - instead of the curious gazes from all around them. They were the only two that mattered in that moment.
'She packed my bags last night pre-flight, zero hour nine AM, and I'm gonna be high as a kite by then', the vocals rang out, and Amelia performed well-practised steps, moving her feet in time with Loki's in the way he had taught her many times before. She still hadn't kicked the habit of staring down at her feet. 'I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife. It's lonely out in space, on such a timeless flight…'
"Eyes up, love", Loki whispered, and Amelia gazed at him sheepishly.
He moved with such grace, as always, and in his princely Asgardian attire, he looked simply stunning - a breathtaking sight to behold. Whenever they danced, Amelia felt as though she was falling in love all over again.
'And I think it's gonna be a long long time, till touchdown brings me round again to find, I'm not the man they think I am at home, oh no, no, no.' Amelia felt light, as though her feet were stepping on clouds, and there was this euphoric feeling running through her veins. Loki loved her, and she loved him, and the resolve to tell the man her profound secret grew stronger. 'I'm a rocket man. Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone.'
The god was smiling, his eyes wrinkled with genuine happiness.
"Loki", Amelia whispered, "There's something I need to tell you." The words trickled from her lips before she could override her brain's desire to spill the truth, "S-something important."
Loki frowned, his eyes scanning her face, and his movements faltered for just a moment, "What is it, Amelia?"
Amelia opened her mouth, her lips quivering as the words hung on the tip of her tongue, but her throat closed reflexively when she realised this probably wasn't the best place to divulge the fact that she was pregnant. Not with everybody else around. Not now. She had to wait.
An aborted sound escaped her and she clamped her mouth shut, trying to cover the distress on her face behind a very false smile, but Loki stopped dancing, and his expression fell completely.
"Amelia-" Whatever Loki was going to say was cut short when the dim light of the room was suddenly replaced by a sharp green glow.
Amelia shielded her eyes, looking towards the windows where the strange illumination was emanating from; for a moment it was completely infeasible for her to discern what she was looking at, but when Tony hastily demanded that F.R.I.D.A.Y cut out the music, the underlying noise from vibrations became evident.
It was a vessel of some sort, hovering in the air.
"Stark, please tell me this part of Amelia's birthday celebration plan", Thor spoke, his voice loud and full of tension.
"Or that we're expecting... visitors", Bruce interjected.
"Unfortunately not", Tony stated, vigilant, and more than a little on edge at the sudden strange company, "F.R.I.D.A.Y, scan the exterior of the tower and tell me what the hell we're looking at."
Loki pulled Amelia closer, urging her back behind him as everybody backed slowly away from the undesignated ship; a feeling of dread overcame Amelia as she wondered who could possibly be interfering with the Avengers in the middle of a harmless party. What were the chances that it was a completely innocuous guest who only wanted to join the fun? Slim.
"The vessel is unable to be identified. Scanners are offline", the Tower's female A.I responded.
"Why is it offline?" Clint enquired.
"I don't know, I didn't turn them off", Tony replied tautly, "I think it's time to suit up-"
No later had he spoken those words did the windows come smashing down, with several figures leaping into the room; Amelia didn't get a good look at them before Loki had whisked her up and carried her away, hastily placing her behind the large music speakers where she could hide out of sight.
"Stay here!" Loki ordered among the loud crashes of chaos that ensued, but in her fright, Amelia clung to his arm, muscles locked up and shaky - the god extricated her hands from him and pushed her down again, repeating his words with no room for argument, before he zipped back out from behind the speakers to face whoever had vaulted through the glass.
Amelia's instinctual response was to block out the noises. She covered her ears tightly with her hands, squeezing her eyes shut and willing the new and apparent foes to disappear from existence, but of course that did not happen. The sounds of collisions and violent impacts echoed throughout the room and pierced through her head, causing her to flinch every time.
"Pepper, get out!" She heard Tony shout, his voice veiled with the slight robotic filter of the Iron Man suit, which explained the surging noises Amelia heard - the repulsors of his suit as he fought the mysterious beings. Amelia thanked the stars that Tony always had a swift trick to hop into his superhero persona, but that still left Natasha and Clint vulnerable - they were dressed only in their clothes that offered little protection against assault.
Amelia curled up, hugging her knees tightly. She removed her hands from her ears and chose to listen, trying to locate any clues as to who the covert villains were, and why they had come, but nothing was clear. She tried to remain calm. Thor and Loki could handle them - they didn't know who they were messing with. The Asgardian gods would make short work of them, they had to. They had to.
And suddenly, like some strange nightmare coming to a sudden stop, the noise in the room fell completely silent - not one indication of movement or motion. It felt as though everyone in the room had promptly vanished.
It left Amelia boggled. Perhaps the enemies had been dealt with?
But then why was nobody speaking? Why was everyone as quiet as a mouse?
An unfamiliar voice permeated the air, "Find the host." The hard, steely tone sent an icy trail down Amelia's spine, and she didn't move, holding her breath for fear that it would give away her position.
'The host'? Did they mean Tony? He was hosting the party - was that what they were referring to? It was so difficult being unable to see what was going on. What had happened? Why couldn't she hear Loki? Why couldn't she hear anyone?
Her throat was tight, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She needed to look - needed to take a small peek, just to check what had happened.
"No matches with these eight, General Ularis", came another voice Amelia had never heard.
She clenched her hands into tight fists, mentally counting how many other people had been in the room - Loki, Thor, Tony, Pepper, Bruce, Nat, Clint and Steve. That was everyone - eight people, which meant they were all still present in the room. But what did they mean 'no matches'? And who the fuck was General Ularis?
And more importantly, why had all the fighting ceased?
They couldn't have lost - not with Thor and Loki on their side. Were they hurt? Were they all knocked out, or- or worse?
Amelia couldn't take it anymore. With her back pressed straight against the back of the large speaker, she leaned slowly to one side, peering around the edge of the sound equipment to come face to face with a scene that left her bewildered and terrified. Everybody was still there, Thor and Loki included, and they were all on their feet, seemingly unharmed.
But they weren't moving. Not budging an inch.
It was like they were completely frozen in place.
Pepper was near the door, seemingly halfway through a rush to safety, while Steve had grouped together with Clint and Natasha, all poised to fight. Bruce was further back behind them, looking tense with his fists clenched - Amelia couldn't see from the distance she was at, but it was possible there were green veins popping at the sides of his forehead.
Tony was in the suit, but again unmoving, one arm raised to aim a repulsor in the direction of the windows where the gatecrashers supposedly were; Thor's arm was halfway elevated, as if attempting to call his weapon - Stormbreaker - to hand.
And Loki. His stance was that of somebody who wouldn't hesitate to attack, and it appeared that he had already called upon his magic to conjure blades to his hands - the sight reminded Amelia of her own concealed weapon, and she subconsciously traced her fingers over her thigh through the silk material of her dress.
She had a means of self-defense, but how many enemies were there? She'd only gotten a glance - not enough to perceive what the beings looked like, but enough to count at least three, and if they'd managed to stop the Avengers in their tracks, how could Amelia ever hope to come out alive?
"Scanners indicated nine lifeforms on this floor. Find the missing lifeform, it has to be the one we're after."
Amelia's stomach lurched with fear at the sound of the order spoken by the being who was presumably General Ularis. They were after her? Why!? What could they possibly want with her? She wasn't someone of note - just a human trying to live her life. What did they want?
Lost in her wildly buzzing thoughts, Amelia did not realise that her shaky breathing had become so audible. It only occurred to her when a figure stepped into her peripheral vision and located her hiding spot behind the speakers.
They wore some sort of body armour space suit, face covered with a helmet, but Amelia could hear the smirk behind the next few words they spoke, "Found it."
Amelia kicked her leg out abruptly, swooping it across the floor against the being's ankles, and spun her body around, pushing herself up to her feet in one move. One thing was clear - she needed to run.
Although the armoured individual staggered from Amelia's effort to trip them, they were not deflected for long, because she heard the footsteps chasing after her as she rushed across the main room - putting those running muscles to good use - and her body was flooded with adrenaline. Amelia weaved between Tony and Bruce, her breaths escaping her frantically, but she was tackled long before she made it anywhere near the door.
She didn't make it easy for the being to subdue her, kicking and wriggling and scratching and hitting, just as Natasha had taught her whenever she found herself in such a position, and she screamed as well. Her cries were loud and distraught. Her arms were pinned to the ground - she couldn't reach the blade at her thigh, and even if she could, she didn't think it would help her prevail over this creature that was hell-bent on taking her.
"GET OFF! Get the fuck off me!" Amelia roared, writhing as the being pulled her briskly up and over their shoulder, leaving her hanging helplessly with no way to defend herself or escape the hold - Nat definitely hadn't shown her what to do if she was hoisted over somebody's shoulder. But she didn't give up so easily, pounding her hand's against the being's armoured back, though it seemed to have little effect.
Amelia was hyperventilating, an uncomfortable buzzing feeling growing rapidly in her stomach. Was she going to throw up? She felt both hot and cold all at once, and the unusual sensation inside her fluctuated rapidly from discomfort to pain; she tried to push it down, swallowing tightly, and worked on attempting to wriggle out of the firm hold.
Her hand shot out as they passed by Loki, and she clung to his arm which was suspended mid-way through a defensive manoeuvre, hoping to rouse him from his strange worrying state of motionlessness. Her grip tightened on him when the being tried to pull her away.
"Loki", Amelia cried, searching his face for any sign of cognizance. Up close, Amelia could see that his eyes were wide, his pupils were contracted, and his jaw was locked, teeth gritting together - he looked like he was fighting whatever magical or mystical hold the unidentified beings had on everyone. "Loki, help me!" She bawled again, hoping that her powerless pleas would be able to break him out of it.
She was yanked forcefully, her grip having slipped in just a moment of weakness, and Amelia floundered, her arm outstretched, as if she could still reach him even as she was being dragged away. "No, no! Loki! Loki, help me! Loki!" Amelia shrieked, her eyes wet with tears.
Loki's leg twitched, and then his body trembled. He appeared as though he was vibrating with rage, and then his neck bowed slightly with a shudder, and he took a convulsive step forward.
"Hurry up, I can't hold them forever!" Amelia heard one of the foes shout from behind, and her struggles resumed anew, with double the strength. There was a chance - Loki could break free, he was staggering slowly after them, he just needed one last shove.
"Loki!" Amelia cried breathlessly. She felt as though she could hardly breath, like there was a crushing pressure in her body that was itching to pierce through her and tear her apart, but she forced herself to ignore the pain and keep it held in. "Don't let them take me! Don't let them-"
A sharp pain tore through her head, and the world went dark.
Notes: I really hope that last bit was as intense to read as it was to write. You know me... fuckin' love me some angst.
If your angst-loving hearts weren't satisfied though, the next chapter will rewind just a tad and start with Loki's POV during the whole thing :') Leave a comment if you're excited about that! ;)
Please, please, please do leave me a comment, even if it's a really short comment, they all make me so happy and I love to see how many people are enjoying reading this! Your feedback powers me up and fills me with determination!
Lastly, I apologise for any grammatical/spelling errors that you might've noticed - I do try to catch them but sometimes I miss them!
