Chapter 55: the pivotal decision
Loki POV
"Mother?" I gasped completely shocked at my mysterious visitor. She was still dressed in her Asgardian garments and looked as fresh as a spring morning. I wish I felt the same way. She gave a warm smile and walked briskly up to me with her arms open.
"Loki!" she exclaimed in glee as she threw her arms around me and squeezed me tightly. I put my arms around her waist and pressed my nose into her shoulder as I returned the pressure.
"I think we'll leave you to it mommy's boy," Tony mocked.
"No," mother protested, releasing me from the embrace. "I want all of you to hear."
"Hear what, mother?" I asked, looking at her with up-most confusion along with the rest of the party. She smiled brightly as she could bare it no longer.
"You have proved yourself worthy of your title after you helped your new friends defeat the alien army that you once helped command and offered yourself in order to prevent them from being hurt. You can come home," she beamed. I did not know what to say.
"I can go back to Asgard?" I asked tentatively.
"Yes!" she exclaimed. In the joy of the moment I enveloped her in my arms and held her tightly in pure delight. I don't know how long it took for the room to clear but by the time I let go of her, everyone was gone. Including Thor and Grace.
Grace. If I chose Asgard, I would never see her again. Thor made his choice to stay here and help on Earth. She already hates me, now would be the optimum time to leave. But then again, I hated leaving her hating me when my love goes so unrequited.
"You aren't sure are you," mother said matter-of-factly. I had forgotten she was there.
"I'm I really that easy to read?" I asked.
"You are to me," she explained, "what is stopping you?"
"Grace," I whispered. She heard it and nodded.
Grace POV
The moment he threw his arms around his mother in glee, I knew. I knew he would go to Asgard, he would go home. And he would leave me. Not that he hadn't already done that. The lie he told me was his emotional leaving, all that was left was for him to physically leave, and to another planet, how perfect. How...perfectly heart-breaking...for me.
I briskly walked out of the room before the floods of tears burst from my eyes for all to see. Once I was out of sight I ran, walking was too slow a pace for my sadness. Humans would call it a broken heart, and I realised now it was an apt description. I ran to my room, locked the door and let the tears fall. How emotional I was getting, it was scary what love can do to a person.
Love. Such an inexplicable thing that can cause amazing joy or astonishing grief and pain. I didn't know how long I had spent in that room but I would have estimated a couple of hours at least. Until I heard a knock at the door.
My face was considerably less blotchy and red and I barely looked as though I had been crying so I decided to open the door. I quickly fixed my hair and slowed my breathing to a calmer rate and opened the door.
It was Loki. He was leaning on the door frame with a nervous expression on his face. I crossed my arms and looked up at him as if to expect him to speak. He did.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
"We are," I replied sharply.
"Please," he begged, "please, Grace."
I hesitantly opened the door wider to let him in. He walked into the middle of the room as I closed the door behind him.
"What?" I asked. He didn't speak, he just shot me a confused look. "What do you want Loki?"
"I don't know what to do," he replied. Now it was my turn to look confused. "About going back to Asgard," he clarified.
"And you're asking my opinion?"
"Yes."
"Why does my opinion matter to you?"
"Because it just does, Grace, I cannot explain it."
"Fine," I huffed, "I still do not see why you find whatever I may have to say valid as-"
"Do you want me to stay Grace?" he blurted. Our eyes caught in the dead centre for the first time since the strange conversation had started. I did not know how to respond. What was I thinking! Of course I wanted him to stay! But if he did stay and he does not want me then I will be in more agony that if he leaves.
"I...I...em...uh," I spluttered.
"Just a yes or a no will do Grace," he said in a surprising calm tone.
"If you go back, you will have the life you have always wanted and were destined to lead. If you stay here, you may live in regret on an opportunity so big." I replied, avoiding eye contact and trying to hold back the tears that were beginning to prick the backs of my eyes, "I would not go with you to Asgard if that is what you asking. And I think that it is for the best."
I could not describe in proper words how much my heart protested to that last statement that had just came out of my mouth. Or how much I wanted to shout out "No! Please don't leave! I love you!" or the Look on Loki's face. His emotionless mask slipped to reveal disappointment, but only for a split second before it was quickly fixed and no emotion could be separated from another.
"Thank you, for your opinion and your honesty," he replied, his voice cracking. The man certainly was a talented liar. He walked out of my room in dead silence and it stayed that way for the rest of the night.
Loki POV
There it was, my formal rejection. I walked back up to the common lounge where Thor and mother were having an animated conversation with steaming mugs in front of them. Thor noticed me first and then mother turned round.
"So...what did she say," she wondered.
"I have been rejected," I replied solemnly.
"Nonsense!" Thor boomed, "did you ask her properly, brother?"
"Well, not necessarily, but she did reject me no matter how I asked," I replied calmly, keeping my emotions tied down inside.
"Brother, if you go to Asgard, you will never see her again," Thor said, "I know what it is like, it has happened to me twice. As long as Grace is alive, you can never be with another woman as she will always be on your mind and you will be in even more agony that you are now. So I will ask again, is this what you want?"
I hesitated and thought for a moment on all the times I had spent with Grace, both the good and the bad. I took a deep breath and looked at both of them.
Author's Note: Another cliffhanger, what does Loki chose? Please review if you want to find out!
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