I keep holding my chains
No longer bound but here I stay
I scream, Father please, I need rescuing
I need You and You alone
-Freedom by Run Kid Run
"These past few days have been... pleasant," Loki acquiesced, glancing over towards Odin. The large man stood beside him with Gungnir planted firmly between his feet. A subtle breeze blew, and Loki looked back over the city. The night lights glimmered in the darkness as they stood on the rooftop. A faint rainbow swirled above in the sky, and Loki leaned back against the handrailing.
"Are you sure you would not like me to stay longer?" Odin asked.
Loki shook his head and said, "No. You are a busy man. I have already deprived Asgard of your presence long enough. I can always visit you anyways. Is that not true?" Odin gave a gruff laugh. Loki's lips twitched with a hint of a smile. Loki was glad that the darkness hid that smile.
"Of course you can, my son." Odin grasped Loki's shoulder and shook it slightly. "I will look forward to your presence." Odin let go of Loki and walked farther out into the center of the rooftop. A mechanical whirring was heard in the sky as Odin looked back towards Loki. "Goodbye, Loki."
Loki flipped his hand behind him in a silent dismissal. As the Bifrost descended down, snagging Odin in its grip, Loki silently whispered, "Why do goodbyes have to be good anyways?" A flash of light filled the rooftop, and when Loki turned away from the railing, Odin was gone.
Loki ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. Finally, everything was over. For now. Nothing would ever really be over since the repercussions and memories would stay forever. Loki dug his hands in his pockets and walked towards the staircase. He yanked open the door and entered the lit hallways. His shoes clicked against the floor as he walked.
Sure, he had forgiven Odin for the most part, but things weren't the same as they used to be. He was glad to have Odin back and acting kind to him once more, but it was strange. He just couldn't feel comfortable around the man anymore. It was if Odin was a time bomb just waiting to go off. One moment, everything was fine. A few days later, one could find himself being chased around the nine worlds by an angry allfather. It all felt so precarious right now.
"Just the man I wanted to see!" A hand grabbed onto Loki and yanked him towards the elevator. Loki mumbled angry words under his breath and jerked his arm out of the hold.
"What do you want, Stark?" Loki demanded to the peppy billionaire. Tony had pressed the down button on the elevator and was leaning on the wall beside the doors. Tony's face looked scrunched as if he was holding back a smile. It annoyed Loki.
"Someone to eat with of course. If I'm eating with someone, then no one will try to join me since they'll think I'm occupied," Tony said with a proud nod. Loki grimaced.
"So I am simply a chairholder for you, Stark?" Loki asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Nope, though I'm sure you would make a very good one. I wanted to talk to you as well." Tony tilted his head to the side before saying, "You know, about everything that has happened. It's better if you just get it all out." Tony held up his hand to stop Loki's protests, "Trust me. I know what I'm talking about." The elevator binged beside him and the doors opened up. The two walked inside of the elevator and stood in silence as it descended.
After the elevator landed, they exited Stark Towers, and Tony began directing them around Manhattan. "Come on, this way. There's a store I want you to see. It's really good!" Loki dubiously followed the man until they stood outside a small restaurant. On the roof overhead was a large sign that said: Shawarma Palace.
"You must be joking, Stark. This place looks entirely unsanitary, and the name is atrocious. Why should I enter in this pigsty?" Loki complained, skeptically examining the insides of the store. It was near empty, and Loki could have sworn he saw something inhuman crawling across the ground.
"It's good just because no one is in here! And come on, it isn't that bad. I've eaten in here many times before, and I'm the picture of health! So come on in!" Tony pushed the door open, and a little bell rang to signal their arrival. Loki shook his head and followed Tony into the store. They took a seat down at one of the side booths.
After they ordered, Tony leaned his head down on the wooden table. "I'm a jealous of you, you know, just a bit." Loki leaned back against the table and nodded for Tony to continue. "Your father figure is still here for you. You can argue with him, and it turns bad in so many ways, but you can still talk to him. You can talk to him, forgive him." Tony twirled the water glass that had been set down on his table. "There are some of us that would do a lot to have that opportunity. But," Tony dropped the glass back on the table, "we'll never get it."
"Hmph." Loki shook his head in aggravation, "Midgardians are such silly creatures. Always thinking of what they do not have and spending their time being jealous of others." Tony opened his mouth to protest, but Loki cut him off. "Who ever said that I forgave him anyways? The definition of forgive is to give up resentment. I certainly have not done that yet. This is what is different between our two races. Midgardians actually have the heart to forgive people."
Tony blinked and looked down at the table. "Why did you let him go then? I bet he would have stayed if you asked him to." Loki chuckled and shook his head.
"He offered to stay, but I turned him down. It would have served no purpose for him to stay. There are others that need him more than I right now. That, and time will only heal the hurt. If I see him more now, I might even grow to hate him more." Loki rapped his fingers on the table. "There is nothing more annoying that seeing someone perfectly happy because they think they are forgiven when you still resent them for what they have done."
Tony quieted for a moment before asking, "Are you ever going to see him again? Or are you ever going to return to Asgard for that matter?" Loki's fingers stopped moving almost instantly. They clenched into a fist, and Tony instantly regretted the question.
"Unless I am required to, no, I am not planning on returning for a long time yet." Loki looked down at the plate in front of him before pushing it to the side. "Even if I have changed Odin's mind, I have not changed the mind of Asgard. They will always question the allfather's choices regarding me. They might call it "softness" or a "weakness", but they will not believe what Odin has said regarding me. They will just think he has turned a blind eye to my faults."
"Odin loathed me for the deaths I have caused. The other Asgardians hate me because I am a frost giant. I am a treacherous species that is not worthy to wander their "sacred halls". Returning to Asgard would not be good for anyone, much less me. Some things will never change. The prejudice has lasted for milenniums already. I cannot expect anything to change just because I have been born."
"You may think I am lucky, Stark," Loki said as he looked dubiously into the bottled drink Tony had got him, "but I think you are more lucky than you realize." Tony tilted his head to the side in confusion and Loki sighed. The black haired man pushed himself up from the table and said, "Midgardians do not have very long to live. They do not have very long to hold grudges against one another and rarely wish to hold those grudges unto death, so they try to make amends."
Loki looked down at Tony before shaking his heads, "They make amends quickly and enjoy the rest of the life that they have left. Asgardians do not die so quickly, and are perfectly willing to hold onto a grudge for centuries. There is no reason they have to deal with their hatred right away like Midgardians do." Loki turned away from the table with a sweep of his cloak. "That is why you are lucky. Do not forget it, Stark." And with that, Loki swept out of the building.
Author's Note: And with that, Words Like Thor's is finally over! –throws around confetti- I hope you have enjoyed the story as much as I have. It's been a long journey, but it's not quite over yet! As promised in previous chapters, a sequel will appear soon. I plan to begin writing it soon, but it will not be published until later in December. I will be resuming by Tuesday and Thursday update schedule again once that happens. In fact, I just picked a date. The first chapter of the new story will be published on December 25th!
I think I like posting story updates on holidays... I will post a chapter update on this story to let you all know when it is released.
Also, if you have any questions regarding this story or the sequel, just PM me. I love hearing feedback about my writing! If you felt like anything took too long to go through or was rushed, then just tell me! I'll work on it in the future. Once again, thank you for reading, and I hope to see you all soon!