Hello everyone! Guess who just dug herself out of a cave! Yeah, yeah, I know, I've been gone for a while. It's been a very stressful October and I haven't had the time nor inspiration to update until recently. I hope this super long chapter will make up for my disappearance.

Here it is! Chapter 26!

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any of its characters. Only the OC's belong to me.

Mandy P.O.V.

It did not take long for Loki to fall asleep and it was not something surprising. His exhaustion was evident by his deep and slow breathing.

I felt sorry for having him go through so much for me but I also could not be more grateful. He had saved my life, after all. He deserved all the rest he could get.

His current unconsciousness also helped ease my mind with my uncertainty regarding his feelings as well as my own. His sudden show of affection had surprised me but I did not necessarily dislike the gesture. It was more of the implication of it that bothered me. Regardless, I put the thought aside for another time; when I am more emotionally stable and rational to deal with it.

I told myself that I needed to rest too. Whatever Loki did for me took all of my strength and I needed to regain it if I wanted to recover.

That being so, I tried to clear my mind and focus only on the darkness. It usually would have put me to sleep within minutes. This time however, it was near impossible.

My thoughts were ruled with much negativity, making me more tense than calm. I felt a mix of fear, anger and regret welling up inside me despite my efforts to keep my emotions at bay. The air around me seemed cold and eerie. It was as if Loki and I were not alone. I could almost hear footsteps moving around the house.

I tried to shake those ideas away and let rationality take control. I did not want to lose myself to those delusions. I had to be stronger.

I'll be okay. I'll feel normal again soon. I repeated mentally. I had to try to convince myself even though I knew it would not be that easy.

It took several failed attempts before I realized I was not going to get any rest at all. Ugly memories and thoughts seeped into my mind every so often, ruining any progress I had made in relaxing.

Worried about waking Loki with my repeated jolts and movements, I decided to slip away for a short while. I honestly did not want to be far from him but I also did not want to burden him even more than I already had. My current paranoia was my problem, not his. I had to try to be brave on my own.

I wobbled over to the kitchen as quietly as possible, despite how exhausted my legs were at the moment. My room was one place I had no plan to enter for a while anyway.

I took a seat on the table for a few minutes to rest before getting up to pour myself some water. It was not supposed to be a difficult task but I found myself trembling from the weight, causing me to drop the glass.

The sound of it shattering onto the floor suddenly triggered a very horrible sensation within me. Memories of the incident began flashing in my mind. Voices started bombarding me with threats and taunts. I could not run. I could not move. I could not breathe.

"Hello, bitch. It's payback time."

"No. Not again." I mumbled.

"Oh, a feisty one! Wanna fight back little missy?"

"Stop. Stop it." I kept pleading.

"No one ever hits the face!"

"Stop, please."

With whatever strength I still had, I clutched my head, begging for all of it to end.

Loki P.O.V.

Something was terribly wrong. My senses seemed distorted and Mandy was nowhere to be found. It was strange that she had gone missing when she was never too far away.

"Mandy? Where are you?" I called out as my eyes wandered in search of her.

There was no response from her but I could hear other strange noises instead.

Something seemed to be lurking around. Its presence was detectable by the sound of its footsteps circling me.

Unsure of what I was up against, I pulled out a dagger, ready to defend myself if necessary.

Suddenly, something lunged towards me. In the brief second that I sensed it coming, I slashed my weapon in its direction. The figure immediately collapsed face first onto the ground in front of me and began to bleed out.

Feeling triumphant, I crouched down and turned its head to identify my assailant. The moment I saw the face however, I realized I had made a horrible mistake.

The one I had just attacked turned out to be Mandy.

I began to panic, knowing I had made a critical hit. She was already bleeding profusely.

"Loki, how could you?" She cried out, pain lacing her strained voice.

I tried to justify my actions but none of those words would change what I had done.

Mandy then went limp. Her eyes remained open but she had already stopped breathing.

"No." I muttered in disbelief as I desperately shook her in an attempt to revive her.

I screamed in agony as the truth settled in.

I had killed her.

I woke with a start at the sound of a loud crash. Confused and a little panicked, I looked around to find out what was going on.

As I saw the familiar furniture of Mandy's house however, I remembered exactly where I was and what had really occurred. I had rescued Mandy from those worthless men the night before and the incident wherein I had killed her was merely a dream.

I had just thrown my head back onto the pillow in relief when realized that the real Mandy was nowhere in sight. My last memory before falling asleep was of me holding her in my arms while she was still recovering from the healing spell. She would not have been able to move around much yet.

Confused and worried about her sudden disappearance, I got up in search of her. I began to fear that my nightmare was coming true as it had started out quite similarly.

Whimpering and wheezing could be heard from the direction of the kitchen so I followed the sound.

Upon entering, I found a very distressed Mandy. She had not noticed my presence as she knelt on the ground with her hands to her ears. Her knees were bleeding, having been cut by the broken glass before her. She seemed to have a difficulty breathing as well.

"Mandy?" I began, trying not to scare her.

She did not react to me and continued to sob and plead.

"No more. No more." She mumbled repeatedly.

I reached over to carefully tap her shoulder but as soon as she felt contact, she screamed and flailed away from me.

"No! Don't touch me! Stay away!"

I continued to try to communicate with her. "Mandy, it is just I, Loki."

"No more. I don't want to hurt anymore." She repeated, shaking her head. It seemed that she could not recognize me nor understand what I was trying to do.

"Mandy, you can trust me." I offered in a more gentle tone.

Still unwilling to listen she choked out between sobs, "You all want to hurt me."

Her words stunned me, reminding me my nightmare once again. I held back from comforting her again, fearing that I would do more harm than good.

The poor girl looked absolutely terrified, even more than she had been when she was being attacked. Seeing her like that was always difficult. Mandy was strong and brave but her trauma was reducing her into something so pitiful.

I did not want that. I wanted her to be safe and free from pain. I desired to see the fearless and kind-hearted young woman who put her faith and efforts into a lost and broken monster.

She believed in me and saw something worth saving. She did not give up on letting me see the good I had and so I should not have doubted myself.

Mandy had put up with how difficult and pained I had been since the day that we had met. It was high time that I returned the favor, regardless of the long and difficult road that we would have to undertake

As I looked into those tear-stained blind eyes again, I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to restore the real Mandy.

I crept closer to her but kept my movements as subtle as possible. Her senses were still quite dull as she did not react nor crawl away again.

"Mandy, believe me. I will not harm you. I would not dare do anything to hurt you. I promise you." I assured while carefully taking her hands and placing them on my face. I had hoped that she would recognize me better that way.

Though a little hesitant at first, she began to trace my features. I kept myself still and cooperated with her movements so she would not feel threatened.

"Loki?" She finally said, making the connection.

I calmly reassured her, placing my own hands on top of hers. "Yes, it's me. I'm here."

"I'm sorry, Loki." She choked out.

Though I did not understand why she had apologized, I told her, "It's alright."

Shaking her head in disagreement, she slid her hands off my face and said, "No, it's not."

Mandy P.O.V.

I was in the worst of states at that point. There was no other way to describe it. I was a broken, hurting and sobbing mess who could no longer differentiate reality and hallucinations.

Loki meant well to comfort me but he did not understand just how difficult all of this truly was. This was just the start of the aftermath of the traumatic incident. The panic attacks and the nightmares would keep coming and the trauma would remain for years. I had experienced it all before.

"I hate this." I muttered bitterly.

Having heard me, he asked. "Hate what?"

At first, I did not want to reply, wishing not to trouble him further but a part of me wanted him know so that he could help me get through.

While I was contemplating whether to tell him, he continued to speak. "Do you dislike what I am doing for you?"

His wrong assumption surprised me so much that I corrected him immediately. "No! No, it's not that."

In a very comforting tone, he went on to ask. "Then what bothers you?"

It did not seem fair to keep secrets from him when his intentions seemed so pure.

"This: feeling helpless; feeling terrified. I hate that I can't move on my own. I hate being afraid of everything!" I admitted, frustration lacing my tone.

Loki went quiet for a few seconds before saying, "Is there anything I can do?"

He had already done so much for me and could not let him go through so much more. I knew that recovering from something like this all over again would be long and hard. Loki had his own issues to deal with. He should not have to bother with mine.

"This isn't something that can just be fixed. I can't ask you to save me every single time." I supplied.

Despite what I had told him, it did not dissuade him from his desire to comfort me.

"Mandy, I understand. You've been hurt so badly that you don't even know if there's a part of you that is still whole. You don't know if you can ever be fixed so you don't bother to ask help anymore."

The accuracy of his description surprised me. "How could you possibly know that?"

"That is what I went through when I fell to this realm. I felt all of it and maybe even more. Mandy, you came to my aid despite knowing you could not fix me. Let me do the same for you." He replied, keeping his tone gentle and reassuring.

"It's not gonna be easy." I said as a last attempt to deter him.

Unfazed, he told me, "I do not mind at all."

The sincerity of his offer as well as his determination touched me deeply. It was difficult to resist him.

Unable to hold back any longer, I lunged towards him and wrapped my arms around what I felt were his shoulders. I then buried my face into his neck and continued my ugly crying.

At first I was unsure of how he took the gesture but as soon as I felt him returning the favor with a tight but meaningful hug, I knew that he did not mind.

I felt his comforting warmth as he held me close and I allowed myself to relish in it for the time being. In that moment, I knew I was safe and I had no reason to fear. Loki was there to make sure of it.

After a while, my outburst was reduced into tearless sobs. Loki never left nor moved to release me until I finally had the strength to pull away.

"How do you feel?" He asked as we straightened ourselves up.

I shrugged. "Tired, embarrassed, a little painful too."

Focusing more on the last part that I mentioned, he inquired. "What hurts?"

"My knees." I told him as I reached down to touch them.

"You did kneel on broken glass. Come, let me heal it." He offered.

I cocked my head as I asked, "Are you sure it's ok? I mean, you've done that a lot today."

Loki waved off my concern. "It is fine. This is something minor."

I did not bother to argue anymore. I had been doing that too often as of late and it was probably annoying him already. Instead, I just nodded and let him have his way.

A strange tingling sensation began creeping around my knees before fading away, taking the stinging pain with it.

"It is finished." Loki informed me.

I smiled as I brushed my fingers against my healed skin. "Loki?" I began.

"Yes." I heard him respond curiously.

I reached out for is arm and sincerely told him, "Thank you, not just for this but for everything."

"You're welcome." He replied as he helped me to my feet. "Is there anything else you need?"

I shook my head and let him lead me out of the kitchen.

As we walked, a thought came to mind, forcing me to ask him, "Did I mess up your clothes with all my tears? I know you must feel gross."

Loki did not sound bothered by it all though. "The tears are not exactly a problem but I think you should know that you and I are still covered in your blood."

The revelation made me cringe in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. I guess the two of us should change and maybe have a shower too."

"Can you manage?" Loki asked with a hint of surprise.

Unsure of what he was trying to say, I replied normally. "I think I can. I just need to get some clothes."

Just as I was making my way to my room, I remembered how I was attacked inside it. I froze in place, standing just a step from the door. I did not want to enter anymore. It did not feel safe at all.

"Allow me to be the one to get them for you, that way you need not enter your room." Loki offered as he appeared behind me.

I was grateful that he was willing to do so but it did not seem right to have him do more favors for me, especially ones that were more personal to ask for.

"Are you sure? I mean it might get a little awkward for you." I started to say.

Loki put no malice in his suggestion and just said, "I'll do it as fast as possible. Is there anything specific you wish to wear?"

I sighed in amusement that he did not follow my line of thought.

"Not really. I'll just deal with whatever you pull out first." I replied, not bothering to argue anymore.

He then left me to do as he had promised. In just less than a minute, Loki had returned with a bundle of cloth which he placed into my hands.

I thanked him politely before entering the bathroom. Loki assured me that he was going to get himself cleaned up in the sink in the kitchen so I did not bother to rush.

As I showered, I began to scrub my skin as thoroughly as possible. I felt terrible filthy, not just because of the blood I was supposedly still covered in but due to the disgusting memory of being handled by those awful men. I shuddered at the thought that they had touched me and I wanted to rid myself of their marks.

My frustrated rubbing and scratching were starting to cause pain to my skin that I had to force myself to stop. I did not want to hurt myself and I hated what my fears were doing to me but I also knew that I was weak. I only hoped that my recovery would come sooner and easier this time.

Deciding to end my shower, I dried myself off and pulled out the clothes that Loki had brought me. The cloth did not feel familiar to me at all. It took me a while before I finally identified what it was. To my dislike, Loki had gotten my one of Mrs. Hillston's dresses.

I did not want to wear it but I had no other choice. I had nothing else but a towel with me. Unable to do anything else, I put it on and stepped out of the bathroom.

"You look nice." My housemate commented as soon as I had entered the living room.

I huffed in frustration. "Of all the things you could have picked, did it have to be a dress?"

Loki was not fazed by my reaction. "You did say that you would wear whatever I got for you."

"You planned this didn't you?" I stated accusingly.

His voice remained steady as he justified himself. "No. It was merely a happy accident. I was honest about how you look, though."

I rolled my eyes at his compliment. "As much as I want to react to that, I have no idea if I agree with you."

I could hear his footsteps nearing me before he inquired, "When was the last time you ever saw yourself?"

"Five years ago, I think. I don't know if my appearance has changed since then." I told him, honestly.

"Did you ever see yourself as beautiful before?" He went on to ask.

I scoffed at the mere idea of being considered attractive. "Not really. I just looked ordinary. Nothing much to say about it. I probably look worse now with all the scars."

"Scars?" Loki repeated.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering how he could not see what I meant. "Yeah. Whatever chemical they used on my eyes probably did something on my face too."

"They appear quite minor to me." Loki commented.

At that, I became more irritated. He was belittling or overlooking my scars.

"I can even feel them! They can't just be light. Just be honest and tell me how bad they look." I insisted.

Loki's hand was suddenly on my face, gently rubbing my cheek with his thumb. "Mandy, I have no reason to lie to you. They are there, but they do not distract anyone from seeing your face. You are not even ugly with them."

He spoke with such sincerity that it did not seem right to fight with him over them anymore.

"You're sure?" I stuttered out, unsure what else to say.

"I'd like to think I look worse in my Jotun form." Loki joked, putting his hand down.

This time, I did not berate him on how he was demeaning himself. The fact that he was able to say that and not actually sound bothered by it meant that he was starting to be at peace with his other appearance.

"You were in that form when you saved my life." I noted.

Awkwardly, he responded with, "I guess was."

Gratefully I told him, "I can't thank you enough for coming for me."

"I would have never let them hurt you. If only I had been there sooner." Loki added, guilt hinted in his voice.

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. You saved my life. Can I really demand for more?"

Unsatisfied, he told me, "It still is not enough. You are still in a lot of pain."

"I don't want to be a burden." I stated.

"I know and you are not." Loki supplied.

Knowing that there really was no way I could shake him off his plan to care for me, I told him. "I'm gonna owe you a lot."

"Do you really want to repay me for what I am doing for you?" He inquired.

Jumping at the opportunity to do something in return, I said, "Of course. I'll do anything."

"Smile for me." He requested.

His very simple statement confused me. "What?"

"I want to see you smiling again. All this suffering does not suit you." Loki explained.

I lowered my head as I said, "I don't think it suits anyone."

"I can think of a few who do." He teased.

"Loki." I scolded, not wanting him to wish ill on other people.

He ruffled my hair as reassured me. "Worry not. You are my concern right now and no one else."

We transferred to his couch-bed to continue our conversation and for a while, it went well. Only when we had taken a break from talking did I feel the fear creeping back into my mind. I tried hard not to think about it but it did not go away. The air around me felt heavy and it was starting to worry me.

Unable to keep still any longer, I nudged Loki and asked, "Is it just me, or does the house feel eerie?"

"I do not sense anything in particular." He informed me.

My uneasiness was evident in my voice. "I don't know. It's like we're not alone."

He made no comment, making me imagine that he was looking at me incredulously.

"I know, I'm probably just crazy or paranoid." I said in embarrassment.

Reassuringly, Loki told me, "Worry not. It is a founded fear. You were attacked in your own home. It only makes sense that you would feel unsafe."

"Thanks for understanding. The silence makes things even scarier too." I admitted.

Loki paused for a moment before he asked, "Would you like a distraction, then?"

I nodded, but remained confused as to what he had in mind.

He got off the couch and left me to attempt to distinguish the noises he was causing. When old music started to play, however, I finally understood.

"Good idea on the record player." I told him, amused at his suggestion.

I could hear his relief when he said, "I had hoped so. Does it help?"

As the melodies filled my ears, I replied. "Yeah, it does. Thank you."

Loki P.O.V.

The soothing tunes managed to calm Mandy's troubled mind. She leaned into the backrest of the couch and closed her blind eyes as if she was concentrating on what she was listening to.

Seeing Mandy content made me feel better as well. I had made it my mission to see her smile again and it seemed that I was getting there.

I continued to think of more ways to make her happy as we sat there. It seemed harder for me to do so than for her to do to me. Mandy was always smiling before. I was the one who was always irritated or upset.

As the song began to transition into another, an idea struck me.

"Care to dance with me, again?" I proposed in a teasing tone to hide my nervousness and uncertainty of how she would respond.

Almost as expected, Mandy turned to me with an expression of surprise and confusion.

"It doesn't really seem appropriate for the situation." She said between awkward pauses.

I tried not to let her reaction bother me and pushed on with my suggestion. "Does it? I think it suits it quite well."

"We were just attacked, Loki. It's not exactly something to celebrate." She chided.

I shook my head before correcting her. "You have survived, Mandy. Those men are gone and will never come back to harm you. I think that is worth celebrating. Don't you think so?"

She said nothing but gave me a tiny smile that I took it as a silent agreement.

I pulled her to her feet and brought her to the center of the room. I lead her into a simple waltz, careful not to move too much and confuse her. She moved with ease quite gracefully despite her protests of being blind and an amateur. I was certain that even she had noticed her improvement.

We had spent a few minutes slow dancing before the music changed into a much faster one. I looked to Mandy who had begun to grin at the sudden transition.

"You like this song, I presume?" I asked.

She chuckled, "Not exactly. I'm just surprised that a song like this is in a record like this. It's kinda out of place."

Seeing that she was enjoying the new music, I proceeded to sway her to the beat. She seemed happily surprised with what I was doing and played along. The music made her movements much livelier and she looked like she was having the time of her life.

As I let her twirl, however, her now carefree dancing caused her to step on my foot and push me to the ground. She followed suit as we were both still entangled in each other's arms.

The fall was a little painful to me but it was soon forgotten by the wonderful sound coming from the little girl resting atop my chest. Mandy was laughing.

I stared at her in shock before chuckling as well due to her infectious giggles. We remained on the floor like that until Mandy was finally able to pull herself together.

"You are amazing, you know that?" She said, still grinning widely.

Amused at the sudden compliment, I told her, "You say that after we fell to the ground."

She patted me lightly before correcting me. "I didn't mean that. You actually got me to laugh. Last time something this terrible happened to me, I couldn't smile for a month."

The revelation made me quite pleased. Despite what should have been an embarrassing fall, Mandy was happy.

"Remind me to trip the next time you are depressed." I sarcastically told her. Reading my tone, she knew that I was merely jesting.

"You'll have to get more creative. It might not be as funny a second time." She teased.

"I accept the challenge." I gladly told her.

Mandy P.O.V.

After our hilarious dance, I did not feel so paranoid anymore. Loki had succeeded in distracting me for the time being and even made me smile when I thought I would not be able to for a long while.

His constant concern and care for me this day was beyond what I had expected from him. I was more than thankful to him for all that he was doing and I felt like I could never repay him for it. A part of me want him to stay by my side forever so I would never have to feel unsafe or unhappy again.

Is this what it falling in love is like?

There were no clear answers to the questions in my mind but one thing was for sure: Loki was the only one who could make me feel like I did not need to be whole to be happy. His presence has made things a lot easier for me and I can no longer deny that I cared for him too.

There were many things about my emotions that I did not understand but if what I was experiencing was in fact love, perhaps it was not something I should be so scared of.

I don't want to be afraid anymore.

End of chapter 26

Finally! This thing took FOREVER! Well guys, how did you like the heavily hinted romance? If it was cheesy, I am so sorry but I did my best.

I used a recent sorta traumatizing incident as inspiration for Mandy's struggle with coping with the aftermath. I guess it only seemed right that I started writing after the incident happened ehehe.

Tell me what you think of this chapter. What was your favorite line/part? Is there anything you'd like to suggest? Let me know! Or just share your thoughts. I'd love to hear them.

Well, see you guys in the next chapter!