"You've been staring at her for hours, my friend," Heimdall smirked, his golden eyes sparkling with the glowing image of you that played before him. "Why do you not go to her if this is giving you so much uneasiness? You love her, correct?"

"Of course," Thor replied quietly, "but not in the way that you believe. I love her as family, and it pains me to be so far from her. The events that have come to pass may have caused irreparable damage, and I may not find forgiveness there. I did what I had to do to protect her, Heimdall. He is not the one for her. In time, she will realize it as I do."

~~~

A few months earlier

Being the younger sister of Natasha Romanoff had both its perks and its downfalls, allowing you certain benefits such as meeting the world's mightiest heroes, and having one of them as your own personal protector. The downside to it all was that sometimes her protection wasn't warranted and she took it upon herself to interfere a bit too much. Ever since the battle of New York took out a sizeable portion of the city, including the building that housed your apartment, she was an ever-present part of your life. It wasn't that you didn't appreciate her concern, but now she may have gone too far. Yes, you were younger than she was, but you were still an adult; you had a child of your own to care for, and she was treating you as if you were hers.

"Tasha, this is the worst idea you've ever had," you argued, "we're not moving into the tower with you." She watched intently as you tossed each item into your suitcase, and you could feel her apprehension building even from across the room and without a word yet spoken.

"Why not?"

"Because I can find my own place. As much fun as its been staying with you here, you have to learn that I can take care of myself. We aren't in the Red Room any more, Tash, and you don't have to protect me."

"Okay," she replied, leaning back against the wall, crossing her arms tightly, "but then let me protect my niece."

"Because I can't?"

"I didn't say that."

"It was implied."

"Hmm," she muttered quietly, still watching your every move as she nibbled at her bottom lip nervously. Once your parents were gone, you were all she had, and her sense of responsibility to you only grew as each day passed. Once you had added a niece to her life, she was consumed with the need to keep you both safe and the fear of your loss was almost overwhelming. Then the battle took your home, and she vowed to never let you into harm's way again, leading her to ask Tony if he could make a living space for the two of you as well.

"We have a pool," she added softly, "and a descent library. I know how you love old books." She pushed away from the wall when she thought she picked up on a hesitance in your packing, slowly moving closer. "You'll never want for anything, because JARVIS gets groceries and supplies delivered every day. There's a great school only a few blocks away. And get this," she smirked, "Tony's putting in a dance studio for us."

"Tash, come on. You know that I haven't practiced in years. Once we got out of that dammed school, I left that part of me behind. I left all of it behind."

"I know you hated the fighting, but you loved dancing?"

"I did," you sighed, pushing your suitcase closed with a quick pull of the zipper, "but that's history."

Seeing the suitcase closed and ready to allow you to leave, her anxiety grew even more. She reached down and grabbed its handle, trying to pull it from your grip, only to find herself flipped onto her back with a sharp slap on the floor.

"I still have my reflexes, sis. Let's not make any assumptions, alright? I can take care of myself."

Natasha groaned and pushed up, taking your extended hand to help her up as she rubbed the point of impact on the back of her head. She was at the last moment to put up an argument, and she began to panic; there was only one fight that she could come up with that might just work, but it was still a long-shot. She couldn't even hear her own voice anymore beyond the thunderous beating of her own heart, and she felt the room closing in on her.

"Well, what if I can't?"

"Excuse me?" you gasped. "Natasha Romanoff can't take care of herself?"

"Okay, well...I can...but...I don't want to. I've gotten used to having you around again, and you know how I hate change. You wouldn't turn your back on your own sister, would you?"

~~~

"I thought you didn't like to dance anymore," Tony smirked, poking his head through the studio door. "You've been here for three months now, and I've only seen you here a handful of times. Barton's gonna be pissed that he isn't getting his game room now."

"He'll live," you panted, stopping your routine at the sound of his voice. "J, could you turn off the music, please?"

"Of course, miss."

Tony took your answer as an invitation to enter, finding his way to one of the seats on the edge of the dark wooden dance floor that gave him a view of your reflection in the wall mirror even when you weren't turned towards him. He had never failed to marvel at your likeness to your sister, in both appearance and attitude, and when Natasha asked him to make a living quarters for you too, he jumped at the challenge.

"It looks like you're getting comfortable with JARVIS?"

"Yeah, he's really amazing," you replied, reaching out to take a towel when he tossed one your way, "he definitely has his own personality, that's for sure. I think you've outdone yourself with him, Mr. Stark."

"Tony."

"Right, sorry. Tony."

He looked around the room, admiring the intricacies in the details that his construction team had made, right down to the placement of the mirrors so that the sunlight would never create a glare against them. He watched you remove your shoes and carefully place them on the ornate iron hangers, the ribbons on them looking even more delicate against the dark metal. He had watched you dance once before, but this was the first time that he had made his presence known; at least had found the bravery to do so, unlike his Asgardian teammate who was still hiding near an observation window a level above.

"Can I ask you something?" he began again. "I mean, I don't know you all that well, and if you're going to be living with us, I think we should remedy that."

"Of course," you nodded, taking a seat close to his, "I'm an open book. Shoot." Your voice tried to carry confidence, but sitting next to such a powerful man in both his life's work and in just the presence that he carried, left you with a nervousness that you found hard to hide. With a quick rub of your sweating palms over your leggings, you waited anxiously for what he would ask first.

"Are you single?"

"Um..." you chuckled softly, taken slightly aback, "yes, I'm single."

"I was only wondering because-"

"Because I have a daughter."

"I'm sorry," he backpedaled, "that was prying. I take that one back."

"It's not prying, Tony. You need to know if I'll have anyone wandering through the building," you offered with a small nod, "I get it. We'll just call it a matter of security."

"Well, that, and I think Thor is seriously crushing on you."

"Shut up..." you whispered, following the point of his finger up to where Thor had been watching. "No...I don't think so. He's like the doofus older brother I never had. Growing up with Tasha was intense and very structured, as you can imagine. Thor makes up for it, and there's no way that he sees me like that."

Tony smirked, not believing a word that you'd said. You knew that you were right, having never once felt like the attention that Thor had given you was anything other than friendship, but it hadn't escaped you that he was there every day that you were, watching. Ever the pot-stirrer, Tony couldn't help but jump at the chance to make it his business to solve once and for all.

"JARVIS, please invite Thor to join us. Don't take no for an answer."

Part 2

"So you're telling me, honestly, that you're not interested?" Tony asked doubtfully. "Not even so much as a tingle in the trousers?"

"Tony!"

"What? It's a fair question!"

"It's rude," you huffed, offering an apologetic glance to Thor as you watched the red flush spreading over his face. "Thor, you can go, I'm sorry. Tony seems to think that he sees something that isn't there, no matter how many times I told him that he's wrong."

"It's of no concern, (Y/N), I can see where he would make the mistake. I do tend to spend a fair amount of my time focusing on you, but it is not of a romantically interested nature."

"Thor, you were staring," Tony argued, "like, obsessive, restraining order staring."

"That was not my intention. I simply enjoy watching her here in the studio, nothing more."

"Pfft, whatever," Tony finally relented, waving you both off dismissively as he made his way to the door, "I know what I saw."

"I know what I saw," you mocked quietly, sticking your tongue out at him as the door closed. "The man can't be wrong, can he?"

Thor simply nodded, giving you a gentle smile as he turned to take the seat that Tony had just vacated. You believed him when he said that his intentions were done in friendship, and you had never once felt like that was in question around him. Still, despite this, he looked uncomfortable around you now as he sat silently and avoiding your eyes, his hands clasped together on his lap and fumbling nervously. "(Y/N), I have information that I feel necessary to share with you."

"Okay?"

"You recall my brother, do you not?"

Your spine stiffened at the shift in topic to the man who caused the destruction that had cost you your home and had put so many people in danger; it hadn't been long enough since the event to even consider anything beyond your anger, and you filled with cautious curiosity as to where he was going with this. "I'm familiar with his work, yes," you replied flatly.

"Right, yes, apologies. Of course you are. Well, there have been a few...occurrences on Asgard, and I've been asked to shift Loki's incarceration here for a short time until those conflicts can be resolved."

"Woah, hold on, Hammer Time," you snapped, "you want to bring that psychopath back to Earth? Are you nuts? Have you told anyone else?"

"Yes, and he'll be here within the next day. It did take some persistence and reassurance that I will keep him under my guard, but the rest of the team has agreed to allow him to be held in the detention cell until a time when I can return him home."

"Then I have to leave," you decided immediately, turning to gather your belongings. "I can't be in the same building with him." While you angrily shoved your things into your bag you didn't see Thor stand to approach you, moving up from behind and grabbing your hand to stop you. With your sharp reflexes still intact, you took his wrist and twisted it firmly enough to tip him back and onto the floor with a loud thud. "I'm sorry..." you gasped, reaching down to help him stand, "Thor, I'm sorry. It was an instinct."

He took your hand willingly but didn't stand immediately, rather staying on his back and looking up at you with a smile, but his eyes were filled with a new sadness that didn't match what he was trying to convey. He had only just begun to know you over the three months since you had moved into the tower, but you had quickly become a close friend; it hurt him to think that you would leave because of him, or rather, because of Loki. His brother caused him so much trouble and turmoil at every turn, and to now have him interfere with his bond with you, it was too heavy of a burden.

"Don't leave."

"Thor, come on. I'm still too pissed off," you explained, continuing to hold his hand, "I don't want even a glimpse of him. Are you just gonna stay down there?"

"No," he chuckled softly, allowing you to help him stand. "I will ensure that the two of you not cross paths. I will do everything necessary to keep him as far from you and your daughter as possible."

"Shit, I didn't even think about how Clint must be feeling," you sighed. "He never did get to put that arrow through the guy's eye. And now with Nikki and I here he has to be that much more apprehensive. Maybe I was right, I shouldn't have brought her here."

"I told him that I would hold your safety at the utmost importance. Your child will never know that Loki is here, I swear that to you. Just please, don't leave."

~~~

Knowing that Loki was going to arrive at the tower the next day made it impossible to sleep, and when you did find your way to getting even just a few minutes, they were listless and barely satisfying. Natasha had brought you along to Central Park to watch Thor take Loki away that day after the battle, just so that you saw for yourself that he was gone, and since that time you had been able to keep your mind clear. The nightmares of hearing Nikki yelling for you from her room as the walls began to crack around her, seeing the explosions just outside your windows, and not knowing if you would survive if you left the falling building, had been gone for so long that to see them return now left you riddled with anxiety.

On top of all that happened that day, knowing that Clint was a part of the fight made it so much worse; the two of you had a very brief affair after he had befriended Natasha and met you, resulting in now sharing a daughter. It was another part of why you were so apprehensive to move into the tower, but he wanted her as safe as possible, and where would be more so than under the same roof as Earth's Mightiest Heroes? Ironically, now it felt like the riskiest place to have her out of anywhere else in the world.

If you weren't going to sleep, at least the 3am knock on your door wasn't completely unwelcome. When you reached over to turn on your bedside light, the fatigue in your body became more apparent, and you began to dread even the short walk from your bed to the door. "JARVIS, who is it?"

"Mr. Barton, miss."

"Great," you grumbled, dropping back onto your pillow with a heavy sigh, "let him in."

An equally exhausted looking Clint pushed his way through the door, stumbling a bit in the pale light of your room on his way to you. Even in the darkness you could see his disheveled appearance and the dark circles of insomnia under his eyes. "Hey, sorry if I woke you up," he began quietly, "but I couldn't sleep."

"Yeah, I can't either."

"So, what's on your mind?" he asked, flopping himself down onto the open side of your bed as if it were the most normal thing for him to do. When you didn't answer right away, he finally turned his head to look your way, only to be met with a disapproving stare and a questioning look as to where he had suddenly found so much bravery. "Oh, come on, I can't lay next to you? I'm on top of the blankets and I'm way over here!"

"No, you can, but it would be nice if you didn't just assume."

"There was a time when I didn't have to ask at all," he smirked. "In fact, I think I was invited quite often, if I recall."

"Ancient history, Barton."

"Hmm, yeah...well...a man can reminisce."

"About what? How much of a disaster we were together?"

"It wasn't all bad. We made one hell of a cute kid."

"We sure did," you readily agreed, relaxing to the idea of having him in your bed, now feeling confident that he was there only to talk to you. The two of you lay in silence for several minutes; so long that you wondered if he had drifted off to sleep, but when you shifted to roll over so that you could face him, he began again.

"I want to take her away while he's here. I don't want her in the tower with that man."

"I agree with you."

"Great," he sighed, "that was easier than I thought it would be. We can leave in the morning before he gets there then."

"I'm staying here, Clint. Thor asked me not to leave."

"You serious?" He rolled to face you as well, pushing up on an elbow as if he needed even that small amount over you in a show of his resolve. He didn't have any responsibility to you, but that didn't mean that he didn't care. "(Y/N), how can you be okay with staying here? Oh...oh, sure...yeah, I get it. You starting up with Thor now?"

"Why the hell does everyone think that?! We're friends!"

"Maybe we just see something that you don't. Personally, I thought Steve would be more your type. Something to keep in mind when you're on to the next one."

"Maybe you should go back to your own room," you huffed, rolling away and turning off the light, definitively shutting the conversation down; even if you were with anyone on the team, it was none of his business, and he should know that his right to know was gone long ago. If there was one thing that you and Clint were really good at, it was fighting, but you had neither the desire nor the energy now. "You can pick her up at 8. I'll call you when it's safe to come back home."

"You mean when he leaves, or when you're cooled off?"

"Both."

~~~

"You don't have to be here if you prefer not to, (Y/N)," Thor offered, standing next to the cell that would soon hold his brother. "Heimdall will assist in his transport momentarily, so there is still time for you to go."

"I'm fine. I want to see him locked up for my own peace of mind."

"Very well," he nodded, Mjolnir in hand as he stood ready. The cell suddenly filled with bright light, so vibrant that you had to turn away from the pain it gave your eyes, even though it didn't do much to help as it surrounded you. As it began to diminish and your eyes adjusted to the shift in brightness, you looked to the small cubicle to see the familiar face that you had worked so hard on extinguishing from your memories.

"(Y/N), he's secure," Thor assured, "now please go, and I'll meet you upstairs. I don't wish for this to cause you any more distress than it may have already given you."

"(Y/N)? You're (Y/N)?" Loki asked with a mischievous grin curling at his lips. "Thor has told me so much about you. You've made quite the impression on him, I must say."

"Do not speak to her," Thor warned, but you took the initiative and took several steps forward to bring yourself face-to-face with the man who had destroyed so much for so many, and who had the audacity to allow your name to roll from his tongue so easily.

"I can see why," Loki continued. "Such fire in your eyes."

"Does that scare you?" you asked quietly, holding his intense gaze, even though your only desire was to run.

"Oh, darling, no. I cannot wait to be burned by you."

Part 3

What was it about him that wouldn't let you stop thinking about him, despite your deep hatred that hadn't lessened at all over the two weeks that Loki had been held at the tower? Late at night, you would sneak down to the detention center to catch a glimpse of him, even though he was usually sleeping. First thing in your morning, before Nikki woke, you would stop by, peeking around the corner just enough so that he wouldn't see you as he read, but he was always sitting quietly against the back wall of his cell, almost statuesquely still.

Tonight as you made your secret visit, you had thought that he might have seen you there, making you jump away from sight, holding your breath for an eternity before you could bring yourself to look again, only to find that your fear of discovery had gotten the best of you. As you expected, he was reading, and it didn't even occur to you that it was an oddity that he never did anything else. You were greatly disappointed in yourself to have never noticed such an obvious clue.

"Darling, you keep paying me visits, but you have yet to say hello," Loki cooed softly in your ear, standing just behind you. You jumped with a loud yelp of surprise, turning around at the ready to attack as your reflexes kicked in, but your hands merely waved through the illusion that he had projected from his place in his cell.

"Dammit," you groaned, panting away the shock, "I forgot you could do that."

"It's a common mistake," he answered, this time from his real form behind the unbreakable glass wall that held him prisoner, "but I would never have expected you to make it, (Y/N)."

"Don't say my name as if you have any right to it."

"Again with the fire," he sneered, "I like it. Perhaps I can get closer to it? Test my own strength against it?"

"You'll do no such thing," Thor joined in, stepping into the room from behind you. "(Y/N), what are you doing?"

"Reassuring myself that he was still locked up tight," you lied. In reality, there was something of a curiosity that kept drawing you in; an urge to understand how two so different as Thor and Loki could be called brothers, even as adopted. There was also a power within him that kept your interest sharp, and despite the fact that you knew better, you wanted to see it up close.

"You've seen him, now go."

"You're not my keeper, Thor, so don't tell me what to do."

"Yes, brother, she is of her own mind."

"Stay out of this, Loki," Thor warned darkly, taking your arm in hand and pulling you away. "Now, tell me what you're really doing down here, (Y/N). Lying doesn't suit you."

Your eyes moved from him and to his brother slowly before returning to Thor's own worried gaze. He waited patiently for your answer, but you could feel the nerves building within him as he was standing so close to you. "I don't know what I'm doing down here," you finally answered quietly, "I've been down here every day, sometimes twice. Something keeps drawing me here."

"Lock that curiosity away," he warned, leaning to tower over you, "you want nothing that he has to offer you. You want nothing to do with him in the least, trust me on this if nothing else."

~~~

"Thor tells me that you've been sneaking into the detention bay?"

"How is that any of your business? And why the hell does Thor think he needs to share?"

You swore that you could hear Clint shaking his head, even on the other end of the phone call. He had stronger feelings about Loki than nearly anyone, and now that Thor had told him about your visits, you were sure to never hear the end of it. "It's my business when I think you're doing stupid shit."

"I haven't done anything. I've watched him read, that's all," you shrugged, "and I haven't been sneaking around. I live here, remember?" He didn't reply or have anything further, and the new silence from the other end of the line became heavy and uncomfortable. "How's Nikki doing?"

"She's good. Tony put us in a nice resort upstate even though I told him not to. But you know how he is, can't tell the guy no. But, yeah, we're keeping busy."

"Great."

Again, silence came and you almost chose to just hang up when he began again, but this time his tone shifted into something soft and gentle, in a way that you hadn't heard from him in as long as you could remember; even more so than you had ever known during the short time that you were together. "Stay away from him, (Y/N)."

~~~

Staying away from him was about to prove quite difficult, and it was being put upon you by the very people who were warning you to stay away. The team had been called out on a mission, leaving no one at the tower to watch everyone's least favorite prisoner. No one other than you, of course. It felt like a cruel joke that fate was playing on you now, and your own self-doubts were only strengthening as to your resolve to follow their direction.

"We shouldn't be gone more than two days," Thor reassured. "Stay upstairs. Do not venture into the detention bay alone again, (Y/N). Do not go down there when there is no one else here with you. Am I clear?"

"He's locked up, Thor," you argued, "what is going to do?"

Each teammate began to file into the hangar bay, Steve and Tony arriving first to prepare the jet for departure, with Natasha and Bruce quickly behind. Your eyes met hers for a second, but seeing you in a conversation with Thor held her off; you could see that she was anxious to get her time with you as well. You were so deep within your mind and your own thoughts now about what it was that she wanted so badly to tell you, that you had tuned your friend out almost completely.

"Did you not hear a word that I've said?"

"Hmm?" you mumbled, pausing for a second before realizing your error. "Oh! I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said, do not tempt fate in order to find out."

"You know, you could give me just a little credit," you smirked, nudging him with an elbow, only to find it like nudging a concrete wall when he didn't even flinch. "Thor, seriously, I'll be fine. Go."

"I trust you, (Y/N)," he leaned down, leaving a chaste kiss against your hair as he gave you a tight hug goodbye, "it's never been you that I've worried about." He then took his leave and joined the rest of his team on the jet, passing by Natasha with a knowing look and a tip of his head back towards you so that she would say something to you that might calm his nerves. It was all you could do to not roll your eyes at the two of them, still clearly not trusting you despite saying the exact opposite only seconds before. When she approached you, she met you with your hands raised and a wall up as to anything that she might try to say.

"Nat, I've heard it all already, I'm not going to do anything. You guys can go."

"Don't do any stupid shit," she smiled, "that's all I wanted to say."

"Hmm, you sound way too much like Barton."

"What? Seriously, there'll be hell to pay if you eat all of Stark's Doritos, that's all I'm saying. He thinks it hilarious when he finds one that looks like Steve."

"I'll keep that in mind." A quick hug was all that you had time for when Steve called out that they had to go, leaving her reluctantly pulling away with that same regretful look on her face that she'd been wearing since she walked in the room. "Be safe, Nat," you warned quietly, releasing her hand as she slipped from your grasp. Parting ways when the other was about to head into danger was never easy, but this time she felt that you were both in the same risk.

"You too, (Y/N)."

~~~

"Are you hungry?" You had stood just at the base of the stairs in front of Loki's cell for a long while before finally speaking, hiding behind the tray of food that you had brought for him as if it could actually shield you from anything if he would make a move. He still gave you an uneasy feeling in your stomach, and an anger at him that had yet to lessen in the time that you'd been watching him, but it wasn't reason to let the man starve. "I brought dinner."

"I cannot be poisoned," he smiled, "so let's be clear about any plan of that nature."

"Believe me, if I wanted to kill you, I'd be sure to enjoy it more than a simple poisoning."

"I'm certain that I would enjoy my death at your hands, (Y/N)."

"If you're trying to flirt, you might want to work on your methods," you scoffed, finally feeling safe to take the steps to cross the room towards him. There was a small door to the side of his cell to allow you to pass items through; you cautiously set his tray down, all the while keeping your eyes on him as you moved. "Please step to the far side," you ordered, waiting for him to move before sending his food in.

Loki looked at the offerings with a small smile, taking the tray and setting it on the floor next to the glass wall so that he could see you, sitting next to it in an invitation for you to join him there. "Please, stay."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh, I don't either," he agreed, "but let's live dangerously, shall we?"

He paused and held steady until you finally relented, pulling up a chair to sit in front of him. You looked down and watched as he pushed the meal around on his plate aimlessly, with a brief glance to you every few minutes until you realized that your position was coming across as domineering and that wasn't your intention at all. Your intention wasn't necessarily to make friends either, but you didn't want to seem untoward, so you lowered yourself to sit on the floor directly across from him.

"Don't like it?"

"I'm sure it's quite wonderful, I just find that this is not where my hunger lies."

"Stop it."

Loki perked up at the tense tone of your voice, his eyes alight now with his telltale glimmer of mischievousness that you had seen only once before when he was destroying the city around you; it was unsettling to say the least. "If I make you so uncomfortable, why do you keep returning?"

"I don't know," you answered in a whisper. His eyes were drawing you in, so much so that you began to wonder if you were acting under your own will or if he was doing something to you to keep your focus. Pulling from your anger to keep you in your own mind, you decided that with him captive in front of you was likely your only chance to confront him once and for all. "You destroyed my home, left my daughter and I with nothing. People died because of you, so I suppose I should count myself as one of the lucky ones, but...that's not happening so easily."

"I should assume that an apology would mean nothing to you?"

"You really think that saying sorry is enough?"

"Hardly, darling," he scoffed, "but atonement must begin somewhere, and though it may be a small indication of my true feelings, it is accurate."

"I'm in no position to give you absolution, Loki."

"I'm in no position to ask for it, (Y/N)."

The sound of your name rolling from his tongue send a strange sensation through you, and you weren't sure yet if you liked it or not. All you knew was that it made you question everything that was going through your mind. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm doing nothing."

"Right," you said with a complacent smile, deciding then and there that the best thing would be to step away, for your own good while you tried to figure out just what your mind was trying to do. You stood quickly and turned to leave, but a hand on yours stopped you; with a gasp you looked down to see his hand reaching through the glass to connect. Even though it was his projection again, you swore that you felt the contact of skin to skin.

"Please, don't leave," he asked genuinely, "I don't enjoy being alone, knowing that you are nearby in this monstrosity of a building. The coldness of my cell is gone when you are near, and I would appreciate your companionship, if nothing else."

"What else would there be?" you asked in a broken whisper, the words barely choking out through the tightness building in your throat. You couldn't bring yourself to look away from his hand, feeling a strange anticipation growing in the pit of your stomach as your own hand began to tremble beneath it.

"I'm not certain, (Y/N), but I believe that we are on the verge of finding out." 

Part 4

The team was only supposed to be gone for two days, but on day four, you had received a message from Natasha that they would be held back for at least two more. She was worried about you, of course, being in the tower alone with Loki still there, but you did your best to reassure her that you were fine and the god under your watch was well-behaved thus far. You had spent a great deal of time with him, in fact, listening to him talk about his life when you gave him very few details of your own in return. When you sounded almost too casual about the team being gone longer, it set off alarms in Natasha's mind that something wasn't right.

"(Y/N), tell me that you're not spending time down there with him. Tell me right now."

"I'm...not."

"No, make it believable," she pressed, "because you know that I can ask JARVIS if I want to, but I hoped that you'd tell me the truth instead."

"Nat, I'm fine. Yes, I talk to him when I bring him his meals, but what's the harm in that?"

"The harm is that he's a manipulator and he'll trick you into helping him escape, (Y/N). Thor warned you about this, remember? I wouldn't think that you would want anything to do with him after what he did?"

You paused and considered her words, agreeing that in the beginning you didn't want to so much as to look at him, but as you've spoken to him, you felt like you were seeing a different side of Loki and that much of who he was had been misunderstood. Maybe he was tricking you, but it didn't feel that way, and your gut was telling you that he was being genuine because he had nothing to lose in it.

"Thor's standing next to you isn't he?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Nat..."

"Yes, he's right here," she groaned, reluctantly handing him her phone.

"(Y/N), heed your sister's warning, as it echoes my own. You should not interact with Loki beyond what is absolutely necessary, do you understand?"

"I understand, Thor," you conceded, hurrying to close the line with a dismissive shake of your head. Everyone seemed to forget that just because you were Natasha Romanoff's younger sister, it didn't mean that you couldn't take care of yourself. Maybe talking to Loki was a bad idea, but you had it under control. There was no harm in merely talking to the guy, and you saw it as nothing more than keeping the prisoner entertained.

~~~

"Is it worth it?" Loki asked quietly. "Getting into trouble with your sister and my meddling brother just to be able to speak with me?"

"I can handle them."

"And you think that you can handle me as well?"

"I seem to be holding my own so far," you smiled back, leaning against the outer glass wall of his cell, your arms crossed defiantly over your chest.

"Hmm, yes," he agreed, moving closer, "but I am safely locked behind this wall. I must admit, however, that my curiosity is getting the best of me now."

"Curiosity?"

"If I could handle you, darling."

"That's a curiosity that may never be resolved, Loki. Don't take my kindness in keeping you company as anything more than that."

"Hmm," he hummed quietly, standing still in place as he regarded you for a moment, meeting your gaze and holding it unapologetically to see who would break the connection first. It would be him, and much to his disgruntlement he turned away with a soft groan; he walked from wall to wall and corner to corner of his cell several times, his hands clasped behind his back as he collected his thoughts and avoided your eyes. You had a strange ability to strip away his façade, and it was both welcome and disconcerting to him.

"I have never given the proper attention to a formal apology, have I?" he began. "Not that I know if one should change your view of me, but I wish to offer it. For what I did that day, and what it cost you. If only I had known of you then as I do now..."

"You would've ignored your desperate thirst for power and rule?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." he grinned, crossing the cell to stand before you again, "I may have been more easily stopped had I known that it would hurt you. You deserve to be cared for and given all that you desire, not to have your life stripped away helplessly."

"I'm not helpless, and I definitely don't need you to care for me."

"Of course not," he backpedaled, "that is very clear, (Y/N). In fact, I do believe that of everyone encountered that day, if you had been there, it would have been you who could have stopped me much sooner." He put a hand up against the glass and looked at you expectantly, waiting patiently for you to follow his lead. "You have nothing to fear here, darling. I would never hurt you."

You felt a strange warmth wash over you and a muted glow seemed to emanate from him as you looked on; he wasn't touching you, but you felt his power holding you there. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm doing nothing. I swear it to you, you are of your own free will."

You looked up at him and saw that his hand was still waiting for you to meet it; you lifted your hand slowly and pressed it to the cool glass to match his own on the other side of it, eliciting a gentle hum of contentment from him that you could hear as clearly as if you were in the cell at his side. "I don't believe you."

"Let me show you," he urged, his eyes seeming much softer when you looked into them than before.

If you were of your own will as he said, then what you were about to do next would be against your character and what you had felt about him for so long. Something in the interaction with him over the past days had shifted your mind, but you still didn't know if it was your own doing or not. Loki held your gaze for as long as you would allow it, until the second that you finally forced yourself to look away.

"JARVIS," you commanded softly, "open it."

"Miss, I would advise-"

"Now, please."

"Yes, Miss," he relented, and the door to Loki's cell clicked and slowly drifted open. "I will have to report this to Mr. Stark immediately."

Loki stepped over the threshold and around the doorway to take his stand at your side, taking your hand in his and bringing it to his lips, all the while making sure that he held your attention. "Darling, shall we be on our way? I cannot believe that my brother nor your sister would approve of this dalliance, and thanks to the ever-present babysitter," he snapped, "time is of the essence."

~~~

You had never before found yourself standing face-to-face with an animal fiercely protecting their young, but you imagined that it looked much like this as you stood in front of Clint, the only thing standing between you and your own child. He was the only thing keeping you from taking Nikki with you and the one person that Barton held the most hatred for in this realm or any other for that matter. "Step aside, Clint," you commanded calmly, "this doesn't have to end in a fight."

"You're gonna have to go through me and walk over my cold corpse to get to her, (Y/N)."

"That can be arranged," Loki sneered, taking a step forward only to be stopped by your arm darting out quickly in front of him.

"No, let me do this," you tried to convince him quietly, "we don't need to use force, okay? I don't want to hurt Clint."

"Is this love, (Y/N)?"

Pausing and searching your mind for the answer as if it were just past the reach of your grasp, you heard the words echoing in your mind but they didn't feel true; they were still the only response that you could find. "My commitment is yours."

"That didn't answer my question," Loki pressed on, turning to stand in front of you, his posture commanding and towering over you as he waited for your next reply. "Answer the question-"

"You're under his control, (Y/N)," Clint broke in with a panicked voice, "listen to me! Focus on me, honey, okay? Just stay here with me and I'll keep you both safe, I promise."

Loki took your arm firmly in hand and turned to Clint, a wide and devious smile creeping across his features as he stared your former love down in a show of dominance. "Ha!" he scoffed, "you can no more protect her than you can do for yourself, Barton. Do you forgot so easily how simple it was for me to take your mind?"

"Loki, I said no."

"Yes, my darling," he sighed, reluctantly taking a step back, still smiling at Clint, who now looked a bit green and nauseated at the show of affection.

"Don't call her that," he spat out in disgust. "I don't know what you're using her for, but we'll stop you. We've done it before, if you recall."

"I'm not using her for anything. I care for her deeply and have chosen her to rule at my side."

"Rule where, exactly?"

"We shall start with Asgard, naturally," Loki chuckled, looking as if the answer had been far too obvious, "but she refuses to leave this pitiful rock without her daughter. So now, if you don't mind, you will step aside."

Clint took a step back and solidified his stance, preparing to take Loki's attack, but paused with a relived grin on his face before the god could take his first step towards him. "Actually, I think I'll just stay put."

"Loki, move away from (Y/N) or you will leave me no choice but to move you."

"Dammit, Thor," you groaned at the recognition of his voice, turning to face him as he appeared behind you, "just stay out of this. You're always sticking your nose into my business, but you know what? It's not yours to worry about."

"You're under his control, and I can't stand by and let this continue."

Loki stepped out from between you and Clint and towards his brother with purposeful steps and his rage building; the furious energy in his voice and the fire in his eyes now would have left any other man cowering, but Thor stood strong and unwavering with his eyes on you and not the god charging in his direction. "Why? Why must you always interfere with my plans? I have found someone to love, who understands me, and you just have to step in with your righteous indignation at my happiness once again. Why can I not keep her?"

"She doesn't love you, assface!"

"And you think that her love is yours, Barton?" Loki turned sharply at his new target. "She merely tolerates you, she told me that herself. I can make her a queen, and you need Tony Stark's assistance to rent you a room."

Clint lunged forward in kind, his own anger matching Loki's and ready to engage in a fight that he knew he couldn't win. It didn't matter anymore, and now this was a fight for honor; both his and yours, and if that meant dying to defend it, then so be it. Loki raised his arm to thwart the attack, but before he could take his strike, you stepped out and into Clint's path, taking the brunt of the hit to protect him; it wasn't a conscious movement, but one that your body seemed to take on its own, as a matter of instinct over purpose. Thor saw and seized his opportunity, moving quickly to restrain his distracted sibling while Clint tended to you.

"I am sorry, brother," Thor began, "but this is the best for all. You cannot be a danger to (Y/N) any longer, and I must ensure that you will never have another opportunity. Release her."

"I have no hold over her, as I said."

"Liar," Clint joined in, "let her go."

"He's right," you added softly, looking up to see the disappointment in Clint's expression at your admission, "he wasn't doing anything."

Thor could do nothing more than close his eyes to maintain his control, breathing slowly to stay calm and to keep his mind present. He knew that there was a risk in leaving you there alone with Loki, yet he took it anyway despite his better instinct, and now this was the end result. His careless decision left you and your small family at odds, and he knew that you would likely never trust him again after what he was about to do. He had no one to blame for this other than himself, and he found himself welcoming your wrath and resentment as punishment.

"Then, (Y/N)," he sighed, "it is even more imperative that I do this."

~~~

~Present Day~

"If she was acting of her own mind, she will never forgive you for this," Heimdall continued, no longer looking at your image now, but watching his friend as he waged an inner battle as to what to do. Thor had sent Loki away to a prison found deep within a realm that few could reach, and one that he would be highly unlikely to escape; he had done this to keep him from you, and you from him, convinced that it was for your own good. You would grow to understand one day as Loki's hold over your mind dissolved, he had told himself, and even now he wasn't sure if he believed his own thoughts. He watched the conflict playing in your eyes, still resonating even now after weeks apart, and it began to eat away at his resolve.

"Perhaps not," Thor agreed, "but I have to live with that now. Her sister will help her to see that what I have done was the right thing, for both (Y/N) and her child. Barton will be there for her too, and will work on repairing that which has been destroyed between us. Sometimes our own pain is worth protecting those we love, Heimdall, even if that means we can never be there to see them understand."

"And what of your brother? Will he not try to reach her?"

Thor spun Mjolnir in his hand with a low growl from his throat, his mind now racing at the idea that Loki would attempt to get to you. His brother was crafty and a manipulator, but Thor wouldn't be one to fall for his tricks, and he would spend his days protecting you from them as well if that's what his life would have to become. "Let him try," Thor hissed, turning to take his leave and turning away before the image of you could fade so that he would have it in his mind to drive the rest of his days.