Holly sat at the vanity in her bedroom, removing the red stain from her lips and her gold jewelry. Her mind raced, recapping the previous two weeks. Loki had made so much progress- his temper was so much more controlled; he stayed with Holly all night after their lovemaking; he had taken so much more care when addressing and conversing with Odin and Frigga. It was only a matter of time before he was back to the man he had been prior to the New York City incident.
Hearing the door open, she turned to see Loki in his trousers and shirt, a gentle smile on his face. She returned the smile, standing to greet him with a kiss.
"How was dinner with your parents?" she asked quietly, pulling the pins out of her hair.
"It was… fine." He commented, rounding her and helping with each of the pins.
"Only fine?" she said quietly, happy that he hadn't argued his bloodline this time.
"Yes." He stayed silent for a moment, taking the last pin and setting it on her vanity. "There was an absent body." Holly moved to face him, a small smile on her face.
"Oh? Who would that be?" she teased, sliding into his embrace.
"Her hair is a beautiful shade of red, eyes as deep as the sea, curves that could go on for days." He whispered, bending to kiss her forehead. "I missed her laugh. I missed her kiss. I missed… her."
"She missed you." Holly smiled happily, hugging him close. Loki led her over to the bed, sliding to the middle and sitting cross-legged. She followed, facing him.
"So…" he trailed off. "You never told me about your family. We spend so much time dealing with my issues."
"It's okay." She said, laughing humorlessly. "Maybe its better left untold." Loki gave her his puppy dog eyes. He knew she couldn't resist.
"Please?" he asked, his knuckles gently caressing her jawline.
"My parents…" Holly stayed quiet, taking his hands. "are wonderful people. They raised me well, but separately… My parents are divorced." Loki's thumbs ran over her knuckles gently. "I have a younger brother named Jack." She shrugged, squeezing his hands. "When I left home for S.H.I.E.L.D., they were given a report that I was lost in action." The tears collected in her eyes, threatening to fall. "They think I'm dead, Loki." Holly whispered, her eyes pleading to help her pain.
"Divorced means they are not together any more, correct?" he asked, watching her closely.
"Yes," she confirmed, bowing her head. Her hands pulled away to brush the hair out of her face.
"Place your hands turned upwards in mine." He said softly, holding out his palms for her. She obeyed, shivering at the contact of his skin. "Now, keep still and watch." Holly watched as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. A green globe of light appeared in her palms, making her jump. "Hold still." He murmured in reminder, eyes staying closed. Slowly, a picture became clearer and clearer to her. It was her parents. They were in the kitchen of her childhood home, cooking and smiling like they had when she was there. They look quite a bit older, which didn't surprise her in the least. As she continued to watch, she was shown her younger brother who had gotten married and had a baby since Holly had "died."
Her hands trembled in his as he watched her closely. "Do you want me to stop?" Loki whispered gently.
"Are they happy?" she countered, bringing her teary eyes to his. "They're back together?"
"Yes. They miss you dearly, but they're getting by." He answered her. Holly pulled her hands from his and crawled over to Loki, settling in his lap. His arms wound around her, pulling her close. Her sobs slowly took over her body as she clung to him like a lost child.
"That's… one of the h-hardest things I've ever done." She whispered, burying her face in his shoulder. He kept quiet, knowing all she wanted was comfort. He had never been good with comforting people.
"I… I don't know what to say." He whispered, tightening his arms around her. Holly laughed quietly through her tears, pulling back to look at him.
"Just hold me. You're doing great." She whispered.