Sorrow's Pain Extras Chapter 20: Too Familiar, a thor fanfic

Loki groaned, light flooding his senses. His vision was doubled, slowly lapsing into a single image. He blinked a few times, rubbing his temple as he sat up. He felt a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down, telling him he needed rest.

But something felt wrong. He couldn't remember how he got here. He opened his eyes again, focusing on Thor's face. He looked worried, his brow etched with concern. Loki tried to identify the other people in the room, but their names came slowly to him, almost too slow.

Frigga… Jane… Sif… And… And… who was that? A smaller woman with brown hair, striking blue eyes, lying on the bed opposite him, the same look of confusion. Loki felt as though he knew her. His heart leapt, but his mind pulled back, refusing to spit out a name. She was familiar. Too familiar. They locked eyes for just a split second before she seemed to snap out of the trance and look away, blushing, her eyes lowering to the floor.

Not something a lover would do… something a servant would. Was she his servant? And if so, why was she in the same room as him? Usually sexes were separated in the Healing Halls. Loki turned his head, looking at Thor, realizing his brother had been saying something the whole time. Loki interrupted, nodding his head towards the servant girl, who now looked mortified. "Who is that?" He asked. His voice was a little rough, his throat dry. He cleared his throat, his mother handing him a glass of water.

Everyone in the room seemed to freeze. They looked back at the woman, who looked so uncomfortable that Loki swore she was about to flee.

Thor looked a little panicked. "Loki, if this is some sort of ruse, it is no longer amusing."

Loki shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of who she was, who she might be. The only thing that came to mind was the fact that she was a servant, just by her body language. Frustration stabbed at his mind.

The others could see that Loki wasn't joking. Sif placed a hand on Thor's shoulder. "He is not jesting."

Loki's eyes wandered over the uneasy people surrounding his bed. His gaze settled on the woman. He tried reaching deep within his mind, looking for anything. Anything. A peasant on the street, a servant in the halls, a maid from the kitchens. Nothing came to mind. It felt as though there was something blocking the memories. There were gaps in his story, thoughts that were blocked, images blurred. He shook his head again, clutching his blankets. Why did it bother him so much that he couldn't remember her? She should be no more than a passing thought. She might just be another patient.

But the looks the others were giving him said otherwise.

Frigga sat on the bed, the mattress sinking under her weight. She took Loki's hand. "Sorrow. Her name is Sorrow. Do you remember who she is?"

Sorrow. That name… sounded… familiar. Sorrow. He looked at her again. She was looking at him, just as confused as he was. Jane was at her side, asking the same question. Loki watched her lips move as she said his title, then his name. "Prince Loki." She could remember his name, but Loki had not remembered hers.

"Sorrow?" He had said her name before. He could feel the familiarity of her name roll of his tongue perfectly. "Who is she?" Loki asked finally, unable to reach any memories.

"Your wife."

Loki choked on the air coming into his lungs. He started coughing, sputtering to find any words to say, any to describe his… his… disgust. He was married? When in Bor's name had he gotten married?! After his coughing fit was over, he could only sit there and stare at Frigga. "I'm… I am married?" Loki asked slowly, still trying to wrap his mind around the situation. This was not right. Loki had not gotten married. He was pretty sure he would have remembered something like that.

"Yes." Frigga and Thor both said at once.

Loki's gaze finally shifted over to "Sorrow", who was clutching Jane's hand a little too tightly, her mouth parted slightly, her eyes wide as she gazed back at him, trying to connect the pieces, but failing. Loki looked up at Thor. "Tell me I do not have children."

Thor patted Loki's back, trying to calm him down. "No. You do not have children."

Loki fell back onto his pillow, closing his eyes. "This is all a dream. A strange, terrible dream." He muttered over and over. "I'm not married. Why would I get married? More confusing yet, what fool would agree to marry me? I'm not… I'm not…" Loki sat back up.

"Are you saying that I am a married man?"

Sif rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"So, I am a man who has married?"

"Yes." Sif said again.

"I have been bound in holy matrimony to another-"

"Yes." Sif growled.

Loki bit out a laugh. "Then where is my ring?" Loki hadn't yet looked at his hands. His laugh died in his throat when he saw it, the golden ring gleaming on his finger. A simple wedding band with runes etched onto it. Runes that said prosperity, health, love, happiness. Loki's eyes shot to Sorrow's hands, which had a matching gold band with a diamond.

Loki shook his head over and over. "Married?"

"YES." Sif stated the final time. "Get over it already."

Loki realized he hadn't heard Sorrow say one word since Jane had asked her who he was. Loki tipped his chin up in defiance, his eyes narrowed. "Then tell me, Sorrow, why I can't even place your name, yet you knew mine."

Everyone turned their heads to look at her. Sorrow rubbed her palms nervously. A prince. She was married to a prince. How had that happened? She was just a slave… wasn't she? Wait. Her mother had adopted her, hadn't she? Then Sorrow shouldn't have to look at the floor the whole time. She watched as the Prince denied it over and over, asking again and again if he was really married. Then, he looked straight at her, almost angry, and asked her how she knew his name. "You are a prince, my lord. Of-of course I know your name."

Something in the air seemed to sink.

Frigga stood up. "It seems we have all had a confusing day. Let us rest. Perhaps you two will remember in the morning after a good night's sleep. Frigga ushered everyone out, leaving only Thor in the room because Loki had called his name before he could leave. He sat on the chair by Loki's bed, looking back and forth between the two, who now seemed set on avoiding each other's gaze.

"How did we…" Loki sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Meet?" Thor finished.

Loki nodded, both Loki and Sorrow trying hard not to feel awkward about being talked about, as if they were in separate rooms, but both part of the same conversation.

Thor looked at Sorrow, then back at Loki. "You were somewhat of a recluse after you were released from your punishment. You enjoyed, as I remember it, 'picking on petty slaves for amusement'. I do not know exactly what happened as you hadn't told me the whole story, but she was your chambermaid. You had requested her because she… I do not know… I think because she intrigued you. I know not of your relationship, but you walked in the gardens with her and took her to the library almost daily."

"So, we married out of love? It was not arranged?" Loki asked.

Thor chuckled, obviously amused. "Arranged? Absolutely not. I remember you telling me that you would burn worlds just to see her smile."

Sorrow blushed, her blue eyes sparing a glance at Loki, to see that he was uncomfortable, his own face heated a little. "Why can we not remember?" Sorrow asked.

Thor sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Sacrifice."

Both Loki and Sorrow's brows furrowed.

"We were on Midgard. A sorcerer came after you, brother. He said you had played him for a fool one too many times. The man cast some sort of spell on me, so that I may not move. Then, he attacked you, not thinking of Sorrow. The Avengers were all out on some mission, so Stark tower was empty besides. You fought bravely, and eventually had the man on his knees, ready to beg for mercy when he rammed his spear into your stomach. I could not move, or I would have killed the man, for he laughed and cast another spell on both you and Sorrow, saying that only a true love's kiss could break it. And then, he disappeared."

Sorrow met Thor's gaze. "Where does sacrifice come into this?"

"You, Lady Sorrow. After Loki went down, the spell had not yet taken full effect. You somehow saved him, but you exhausted all of your energy doing so. I feared that you had died yet again, but you both were in a deep sleep. You and my brother have been asleep for nearly thirty days."

"Wait… my so-called 'wife' saved me?"

"Yes. It is a back and forth type of thing with you both. You will save her, she will save you, then you will save her again. I remember this one time on Alfheim, Sigyn tried to seduce you and-"

Loki cleared his throat. "Thank you… I believe I will sleep now."

Thor stood up, sadness in his gaze. "Brother, Lady Sorrow, you should know that your marriage, the memories you have lost… they are worth finding again. I knew not about many of the things which transpired, but I do know this. You were both happy." And with that, Thor left the room.

But Loki didn't sleep. And neither did Sorrow. Loki glared at her, making sure she was looking when he took off his ring and set it on the table. "I have no idea who you are. I am not married to you, not until I can remember. Otherwise, this is all a game. So tell me, Sorrow, tell me the truth. If you are my wife, if we truly did marry out of love, then you would know exactly what happened the night I fell from the Bifrost."

Sorrow's eyes flitted from Loki to the ring, she twisted her own off her finger, fiddling with it. "I… I do not…" But then, the words came to her. She had heard them before, she knew it. "You never wanted the throne." She whispered. "You fell from the Bifrost after your fight with Thor."

Loki scoffed at her. "I knew it! You know about as much as anyone else-"

"And Thor caught you. And Odin caught Thor. Odin rejected you, and you let go. No Loki." Sorrow whispered.

Loki's eyes widened before narrowing. "Thor could have told you that."

Sorrow shook her head. "I don't know how else to prove it to you. I am just as lost."

Her voice was soft. Loki's heart knew her voice. Apparently, his heart knew everything about her, for his heart recognized her, but his mind knew her not. Loki forced a glare back onto his face, though it didn't come naturally. They sat there quietly. Loki watched her. She watched him. Neither of them was tired.

Loki stood from his bed, clasping his hands behind his back and pacing the room. What was going on? Was this really happening? He knew it shouldn't be this big of a deal… but he had been married before, to Sigyn. That hadn't exactly turned out that well. So why, after everything, would he get married again? She must have been quite special to have caught his eye.

He looked her up and down as she continued to stare at him. Fine… he could not deny it. She was… attractive, to say the least. Her blue eyes were full of infinite patience and experience, sparkling like a sapphire in the light of a dancing flame. Her brown hair fell a little past her shoulders, wavy and sun-bleached. Her red lips were naturally turned down, into a frown. She was fairly small. While standing, she could probably, just barely, reach his collar bone.

And yet, there was something else about her. Something… elegant. Ethereal almost. Her features were smooth, well rounded, naturally graceful. Somehow, he could tell she had not had an easy life. Perhaps it was the nearly invisible scar on her cheek that resembled what a dagger blade would leave, or the way her eyes had fallen to the floor earlier, as if she had forgotten that she wasn't a servant.

Wait. How could he guess all these things? He had always been skilled at deduction, but this was almost ridiculous. She could have been a normal Asgardian, lowering her eyes in respect to her Prince. And yet, his first thought had been that she was his servant, something Thor had confirmed. He shook his head again, realizing two things. One, that he had been staring at her for the last five minutes and that she was blushing. And two, that the longer he looked at her, the more beautiful she became.

What had started out as a nervous woman who had been his servant, apparently his wife now, had turned into one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. He had never, in his life, found anyone so appealing in so short a time. "Is there something on my face?" She asked, snapping him out of the second daze he had fallen into in the last five minutes.

This sparked some sort of memory. It was sunny. She was walking next to him, they were talking, laughing. She had asked the very same question. The memory faded into the recesses of his mind, though he could now remember something about her. He shook his head. "No, why?"

"You're staring." Sorrow stated, the same memory coming to her mind.

It was quiet for a few more minutes before Loki cleared his throat. "I suggest we both get some sleep. We will talk further in the morning."

Sorrow nodded, slowly lying back down, her head resting on her pillow. Loki watched out of the corner of his eyes as she tossed and turned for a few more minutes before sitting up quietly, reaching for a hair tie that someone had left on her bedside table, and braided her hair. Loki's hands tingled, remembering the feel of her hair. Was that strange? That he remembered everything about her but who she was? In fact, he was pretty sure he had braided her hair before. He shivered. No. He hadn't. This was all an illusion. She was probably some enchantress hired to trick him, a prank from Thor and his friends… and his mother.

Sorrow laid back down and Loki tried to keep his eyes closed, tried not to look at her. But his senses were flooded. Her eyes were already closed, though he could tell she was not asleep yet.

She. Was. Too. Familiar.

Loki's hands clenched into fists. No. This was not right. He had just barely woken up. Surely, in the morning light, she would look completely different. It was the dark playing tricks on him.