Chapter 29

An hour later and I was safely locked in my lab, the familiar music blasting itself from the walls around me as I stared at my arm.


I turned it over again.

Still no scar.

I held it up to the light.

Still no scar.

I even stared at it through a magnifying glass.

Still. No. Scar.


Maybe it had all been a dream... Maybe I had fallen asleep straight after the others had left on their missions and had dreamt up everything that had happened and I had really only woken up when Bruce had knocked on my door... Yea... That's what probably happened... Of course that's what happened... And that's why I was still looking for the scar that wasn't there.


"It's not going to appear Stark".


Not a dream then.


I jumped at the voice, spinning around and managing to fall off the stool, landing painfully hard on the ground.

I heard a dramatic sigh before suddenly someone was holding their hand out to me.

Following that hand up to its arm... It's straight shoulder... It's flawless neck... It's strong jaw... It's pale mouth... It's perfectly angled nose... It's high cheekbones... And it's eyes...

His eyes.


A startling shade of green, looking both amused, and deadly serious, all at the same time.

They were HIS eyes.

Loki's eyes.


"I'm not going to bite Stark".


I jumped again at the voice and he scowled, "Will you stop getting so startled all the time? Honestly, it's the most annoying thing to watch when you know I've been here for the past... Shall we say... 3 minutes?".


Slowly I trailed my eyes back down his arm and paused.

He was still holding out his hand.

To get me back to my feet.

To help me.

Again.


I hesitated for a minute before reaching up at taking it, and he pulled me up with ease.

I quickly let go of his hand once I was on my feet, surprised at how cold his skin was, before doing a double take when I finally saw him properly.

Jeasus fucking Christ did he look different.


His black hair was cut up short so it no longer rested on his shoulders, and he had no golden helmet. He had no armour either. Or green evil take-over-the-world suit. He was wearing a simple black shirt, and dark denim jeans, ripped at the knees. He looked... Well... Normal.


Loki Laufeyson looked normal.


I gulped, "... Did you look like that this morning as well?".

He frowned, glancing down at himself, "Look like what?".

"Look like... Like... Like someone NORMAL. Like someone AVERAGE" I replied quietly and he scowled once again at me, "Normal? Average? Honestly Stark, you'd swear you'd never seen a god in human clothes before... Oh. You haven't, have you? I did doubt that Thor would refrain from his Asgardian clothes but... Well... Judging by your reaction, I guess he hasn't".

I looked back up at him, surprised to find him a good two or three inches taller. He must be at least 6ft. Guess I had never actually stood next to him properly before...

He smirked, seeming to guess my question, "6ft 2. And yes, this is my usual height".

I stared at him, "... What about the hair? You cut it?".

"Yes, Stark, I cut it. It makes me appear more... Normal, as you said. Much easier to manage and all" he replied casually, and I frowned, "But you're acting more normal as well... You're actually being... Civil... To me. You don't send off the whole I-hate-you vibe anymore. Or the angry one. Or the scary one... The whole intimidating thing is still there though" I replied slowly and he grinned, something I had never seen before.

It was a real grin.

A genuine smile. Revealing perfectly white, straight teeth.

Show off.


"Yes Stark. I have decided to... Well... To put it frank, turn over a new leave... Trying to destroy the world all the time really gets boring after a while you know?".

Then suddenly he looked furious, and he voice was velvety soft with a harsh, dangerously deadly edge to it, "Though that's not to say I won't go back to my usual cruel ways if needed"- he grinned again -"But for now... I'll be polite... To you at least".

I slowly sank back down into my chair, "... Jeasus this is a lot to take it".

He smirked, "I would imagine so".

I glanced back up at him, "Why... Why now? Why are you suddenly being so nice to me? Aren't you meant to resent my entire existence?".

He smiled slightly, "I am... But when I saw you on the kitchen floor, saw what you were doing to yourself... I... I... Well... Let's just say you're not the only one with issues".

I stared at him, "... Did you seriously just say what I think you did?".

"... I believe so".


I had grabbed his arm and rolled up the sleeve before he had a chance to re-act and I frowned. His skin was pure white. Marble like.


He sighed, before muttering a few words under his breath, and suddenly... Suddenly his flawless skin wasn't so perfect anymore...


He had scars.


Scars that were very faint, a few years old, and scars that were still slightly bleeding, the newest ones.


Both his arms were littered with them.


Slowly, I pushed up my own sleeves, placing my arm next to his and staring.


Our scars were almost identical.


"So you do it too huh?" I asked quietly and he slowly nodded, fixing his shirt, and folding his arms across his chest, "You're not the only one with these sort of... Problems... Stark. That's why I couldn't let you die yesterday... Because I know how it feels... And, in some, severely messed up, kind of way... I felt... Protective. I felt protective of you... And that's something that has never happened before... I just got the strangest urge to look out for you... To mind you... To help heal you... Because I know what it's like. I know what it's like to feel... Worthless... Pathetic... Ashamed of yourself...".

He trailed off quietly and I stared at him.

Here was Loki Laufeyson, the over-confident, self absorbed, arrogant jerk... Suddenly slowly breaking down in front of me. Confessing his feelings... Talking about what's going on in his head... And telling me, admitting it to me, that he wanted to actually... Protect... Me. That he wanted to protect ME. Of all people...

I slowly stood up, "Loki?".

He glanced up at me and I hesitated for a minute, "I'm going to... I'm going to do something now... That involves you... It won't hurt you, I promise but... Just don't attack me alright?".

He slowly nodded and I took a deep breath, before stepping forward and pulling him into a tight hug.

He immediately stiffened up and I sighed, "Loki, relax. Just calm down. And relax".


Slowly I felt the tension creep out of his body and after another few seconds, I smirked, pulling back, "There. That wasn't so bad was it?".

He smiled slightly and I grinned even wider, "You know what I think your problem is? You just weren't hugged enough as a kid. That's all thats wrong with you. You need more attention... And hugs. You REALLY need to learn how to hug".

"... Hug" he muttered, as if searching for the definition of the word in his head.


When he didn't find it, he frowned, looking back up at me.


I sighed again, holding out my hands, "Come here".

He didn't move.

I stepped forward and pulled him in close again, "Now all you got to do, is hug me back".

He remained still.

Pausing for a minute, I weighed of the likely-hood of him murdering me for doing this, before slowly unfolding his arms and placing a hand on both of my shoulders, "Hug".

He gently tightened his grip, pulling me in tighter, "Hug".

I grinned and tried to back away, but he kept me firmly in place.

I paled.

"Ah... Loki? You can let go now..." I muttered uncertainty but he didn't move.

Thats when he spoke.

"You think I'll just let you go? When I finally have you in my grasp? Where I could just flex my wrist and crush all you bones right now? Where I could KILL YOU?".

I froze at the tone of his voice.

It was dangerous.

It was harsh.

And it was cold and unforgiving.

Then he suddenly let go and I stumbled back, staring at him fearfully.

He glared at me for a split second more, before suddenly grinning and laughing slightly, "Fell for it".


It took me a few seconds to register his words.


He started laughing.


I glared at him, "I cannot BELIEVE you just did that! Do you know how terrifying that is? Being told how you're going to be crushed to death by a GOD?".

He laughed again, "The look on your face was priceless! As if I would actually kill you of all people... Didn't you hear me earlier on? I want to protect you, not harm you".

Then he grinned an ADORABLE crooked smile and he suddenly looked like a little kid on Christmas Eve, or one giant fluffy teddy bear, or even one of those 'Damn, that's a cute ass puppy' dogs you see on TV, and I just wanted to squeeze the life out of him.


Not literally of course.

But he just looked so... So... INNOCENT!

Of all things I ever thought I'd call Loki Laufeyson, innocent was not one of them.


Yet here we were, with me staring at him speechless, and the god in question looking so innocent and loveable and childlike and just so frickin ridiculously adorable!


I just wanted to give him another hug.

And never let go.

But he was still Loki Laufeyson.

And as much as I hated to admit it, he could still murder me in the most painful and brutal way possible...

If he actually wanted to.