And we're back.
Oh god….no pun intended.
Roria and Loki lost any conscious thought as they stood there; holding one another, pulling one another closer, harder, passion, love.
And then, as if they had both realized what was happening, they both pulled away at the same time, stepping back from one another.
Roria stared at him in horror, breathing hard and still feeling the sparks on her lips. Her whole body was on fire, and yet a chill ran down her spine. His lips were cold, and yet, heated.
Loki was looking anywhere but her. He couldn't think, couldn't concentrate. His mind was overwhelmed.
"You shouldn't have done that," Roria was the first to recover...for the most part. "We should not have done that."
Loki remained silent but nodded in agreement. He then looked up at her and stepped forward. "I am so sorry Rorianna."
"An apology?" she raised an eyebrow. "You don't apologize."
"You were always an exception to all my rules," he shrugged. Their eyes met. "I never was going to fall in love either. You've made me break that rule twice."
She shut her eyes in frustration. "Loki…" but she didn't even know what she was going to say.
Loki turned to the opened glass door and then, with every ounce of self control he said, "Leave."
Roria's eyes flashed open and she stared at him. "What?"
"Go," Loki turned away from her. "Leave. Just leave."
She turned to face him. Her heart was pounding, her body was tingling, and her mind was racing. But she made a quick decision. "Where's my tiara?"
He shook his head. "No," he looked towards his room entrance on the other side, "I think it would be better if you left that. Then you would be useless in a fight. The Avengers would no longer allow you to come after me. I don't want to—can't fight you. You can have a new one made for you when you go home."
She stared into his eyes for a moment before leaning in towards him, "Then I leave." And she lightly let her lips brush his before turning away and jogging out of the glass dome where he stared numbly after her.
He was so unfocused he didn't even see her walking towards the control board. She glanced up at him once before she hit the close button.
"Rorianna!" he shouted and stepped forward but the glass sealed. Anger, betrayal, hurt. "I have this place swarming with guards. They'll be here in a moment."
But Roria was smiling. "I know," she leaned against the glass from one side. "Just enough time for me to find my tiara and go, hmmm?"
He shook his head and opened his mouth though he had nothing to say. He suppressed a smile and she turned away.
She walked towards his room but as she left his vision she smiled once back at him. "It really was good to see you again, Loki."
Loki couldn't help it. He smiled lightly and gave a soft chuckle. Only Rorianna. But then again, Morilians never forget.
By the time a guard came, Rorianna was long gone. And so was her tiara.
Loki was angry with himself for letting her go. And proud. And lonely. And empty.
He was walking, he didn't even know where. He turned to cross a road and a car was rattling towards him. He turned just in time to watch it come to a screeching stop. Thump!
And then the car door opened. "Oh my God, are you okay?"
Loki stared at her. She was in her late thirties. Her eyes were searching his for an answer. He clenched his fist, angry. He turned his body so he was facing her and was about to do something….permanent.
When a door from the back of the car opened and a head popped out. She was a little girl with gold pigtails. Her eyes, blue like Rorianna's. "Mommy? Is the man okay?"
Loki watched between the mother and daughter for a moment before turning away. "Yeah, I'm fine."
And on he walked. He crossed the road and into the woods where he looked back to watch the rusted car slowly drive off.
He wondered how many had died because of him. And how many of them had little children. How many of them had a loved one waiting for them to come home. He let his shoulder hit a tree and just leaned there, breathing in the silence.
He had such an empty life. And Rorianna had been there to fill in a hole. And then she left. He'd let her void be filled with hatred and anger. And then she was back in his life for a mere time and she'd shown him love again. He was willing to do anything to get that back. Anything to fill the hole once more. Anything to love her and have her love him in return.
Steve Rogers had never been so worried in his life. He was staying in Tony's strange tower like he'd been doing for awhile. But Roria had spent her first month on earth with the room down the hall. And that room was empty right now.
He wasn't sure how it'd happened. She was his daughter but that didn't automatically mean he had to care about her. But he did. More than himself or anyone else. Partly, it was easy to fall in love with his daughter because she was so much like Peggy, the other part was how much she was like himself.
Sometimes she acted like a kid: carefree, happy, young. And yet she was very smart, and fast, and strong, and wise. She was everything he was and more. But isn't that what all parents want? Their kids to be better?
The strange part was…she was the same age as him. But that made it all the more fun.
"We need to something!" Rogers was shouting. His fists were shaking as he pounded Stark's table. It made everyone else who'd been eating in silence jump. All eyes were on him, on flashing sympathy.
"We're doing everything we can," Natasha told him, an arm on his shoulder. "But Loki's been being careful."
"I can't just sit here doing nothing! She could be—be…"
"Just fine," came a voice, soft and happy and oh so tired.
They all turned to see a young woman with dark hair and tan skin. On her head was a gold tiara and her hair was curly and down around her. She was practically glowing.
"Rorianna?" Steve said softly and then he burst from his chair to run over to her. "Oh I was so worried! You look—"
"Like a Morilian," she told him, looking down at herself. She was giving off a faint glow. She was pulled into a hug before being swarmed by the other Avengers. They asked her questions, gave her hugs, offered her food and water.
She began by telling them about the glass dome, and then what she ate and how often, and then about how any guards there were and if Loki had any plans she didn't know them….and she left out so much that she felt like a liar.
"How did you get away?" Bruce Banner prompted.
"Loki, just let me go," Roria said softly.
"Just like that?" Thor asked with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"
Rorianna just shrugged. "I don't know."
Finally Tony had to ask, "What up with the glowing?"
"This is what Morilian's look like all the time. Glowing, powerful. They have an unbelievable knowledge and power. But I am only half Morilian. So I had a tiara fashioned when I was thirteen so I could turn on my Morilian side when I wanted."
They all just stared at her.
"So if it's alright, I'd like to get some sleep. We can talk in the morning?"
No one disagreed but just let her pass. Steve put his arm around her shoulder and silently led her to a room in Stark's tower where she was staying. "You sure you're okay?" he asked as they got to the room.
"Fine," she nodded and kissed his cheek before going in. She shut the door behind her. Just fine.
But her mind was on the god that had made her childhood easier. Who had stopped the nightmares. Who had made her feel not Human or Morilian. Just Rorianna. And that was everything to her.
She closed her eyes and the Tiara deactivated. She took it off and set it on her dresser. She didn't even bother to change, but climbed into bed.
That night, she had nightmares.
Will Rorianna and Loki ever be together?
Will there be death?
Will there be Penguins?
Find out in the next chapter and...if you have the time, PLEASE review! Gracias!