He stared down onto the street, watching cars, merely metal and glass boxes rushing past. There were crowds down below, and even though it was a quiet part of Washington, it was too noisy for his liking. He leaned further over the cast iron railing. He hated heights, but right now he was wondering if he would die if he leaped two stories. He elected against it, knowing that things never went his way, even in his short stint as king.
"What do you mean, following orders from Thor?"
Bella approached him carefully. Nobody could sneak up on her either, and she smiled, "during the negotiations, he pulled me aside and asked me to do whatever was in my power to help you."
Loki stared at the cracked, stained concrete fifteen feet below him and smiled humorlessly, "did Thor really say that, or are you just trying to comfort me with hollow words?" he smiled wryly, "again."
"Do I have a reason to lie to you?" Bella arched an eyebrow, "from now on, I will be nothing but honest with you."
He sighed, she was right. He hated it when somebody else was right because that meant that he was wrong, and that just added to the big pile of wrong that was already in his life.
"Actually his words were more along the lines of 'I dream of the day that my brother can return home, free from the evil of the past' or some shit," Bella shrugged, taking a perch by his side, "he actually convinced Odin to spare your life. I know, I was there."
Loki smiled, "Thor's bassist sentimentality will be the end of him," that was when she slapped him across the back of the head, the way she had slapped Hawkeye and all of her Marines at least one stage, "there was once a time I could have you executed for that."
"Don't talk that way about the man that got your stupid ass off Death Row, and especially not when he's your big brother," Bella snapped at him. He pulled his head closer towards his shoulders, expecting another whack on the head, "I would kill for a brother like Thor. He's a good man."
"Thor is not my brother," Loki sighed.
"For the love of Jesus and puppies," she sighed too, "nothing gets through to you, does it?" she grabbed his shoulder with her left hand, her bright green eyes bored into his as he looked up to face her, "Family's one of those funny words," she smiled humorlessly, "it's not your blood, although people think it is, and it's not the sadistic bastard that adopted you in your case."
"Then what is it?" Loki asked her, his eyes moistening. He sounded pathetic even to himself.
She smiled, warmly this time, "family are the people who love you," she put a hand over his heart, "and who you love. That is all that really matters;" she smiled again, "Thor loves you. You're his baby brother. He takes one look at what you have become and he beats his brains out because he couldn't protect you," she rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "and he wants answers, he wants to help you, but he doesn't know how. So he found someone that did. You are his brother," she paused for a moment, "and I know somewhere in that heart of yours, you love him too."
Loki stared back down at the concrete, "Perhaps," he muttered. Bella gave him a stern look, "alright, you are correct in your assertion."
Bella shrugged, "down here, we call that lack of faith in yourself and those closest to you a midlife crisis," she smiled, "some people buy flashy and expensive cars, some become homicidal and potentially dangerous bastards."
"Thanks."
"All I'm trying to say is that losing yourself like this in insecurity, jealousy and rage is entirely normal, and is often an essential part of growth," she put her arm across his shoulders, "you just went a bit over the line," he glared at her for a long time, "okay, more than a bit," he continued glaring, "okay, the line was in Idaho, and you ended up in red China, but the point still stands."
"You have no idea. . ." he trailed off.
"Explain it to me," he cast her a withering glance, "or we could go back downstairs and eat some more pizza."
"I would prefer them not to be here."
"The Spider and the Bird?" she grinned. Much to her surprise, and to his, they both began to laugh, "I'll tell them to shove off. For future reference, if the Bird gives you grief, hold up a mirror so he sees his reflection. He'll think there's another parrot there for him to play with and he'll forget all about you." He looked at her almost as if she were serious for a moment, "I'm kidding."
Loki laughed, and as he held up his slice of pizza to take a bite, she took a large bite out of the other end he tried his best to act angry, but Bella just laughed. She guided him back down the stairs.
What neither of them saw was a pair of dark eyes watching them. Fury had to know about this.