Chapter Text
The next few days were less eventful. Everyone seemed more comfortable with the new change, and normal life continued. Well as normal as it could be. Currently, Nat, Clint, and Steve were out on a mission to Germany to take out secret cells against SHIELD. Bruce and Tony were busy in their respective labs doing all kinds of tech work. Everything was quiet.
Loki kept to himself. No one had really seen him since that first night, although Thor checked in on him almost hourly to confirm he was behaving. We didn’t know what he was up to.
I also secluded myself for a while, but that was nothing new. I hung out with Thor every day to either catch up or play Tony’s weird tech games. Most of the time, though, I was in the library. Tony had this enormous library full of every kind of book- it was my peaceful spot.
I went there daily to try and flee from all my thoughts, but it was useless. The shine of my silver bracelet mocked me constantly. What was on my wrist? Why did it look like a snake? And why did it burn?!
Taking the bracelet off, I decided to study it more closely on day. I gently traced the carvings on my skin, still a bit tender from the recent burning. The snake was long, outlined in black. Suddenly, I noticed it wasn’t just one snake but two, positioned as exact parallels of each other with their tails entwined.
I didn’t understand it. What possible reason could there be for this to be carved into MY skin? Obviously, this wasn’t a result of an injury. This was almost a tattoo-like carving, except it seemed to have been a part of my skin rather than put on like a regular tattoo.
This was all too crazy. I was so mesmerized by this discovery, having never really looked at it this close before. The thought of understanding this mark and not liking what it meant was too much for me, so I never dared studied it. I always assumed it had something to do with my curse, but this had no link to it.
“Am I interrupting?”
I jumped straight out of my street and quickly hid my hand behind my back. Loki was standing there, concern etched onto his face.
“No,” I breathed, still startled, “I was just… just looking at a former injury.”
“Ah.” He came closer while I turned around to put my bracelet back on. “Is that why you wear that?”
Shivers were running down my spine. I stammered. “What can I help you with?”
Loki accepted the change of conversation. He handed me the book I had given to him on his first night. “You have good taste,” he commended. “I enjoyed it thoroughly. I even read it twice.”
I almost blushed from his praise. I hadn’t expected him to like it that much, but I was proud that he had. “If you like that one, then you’ll love this one.”
I sauntered over to the bookshelf right behind him. Stepping on my tiptoes, I barely grabbed a book from a high shelf. The cover was a little dusty, so I blew it off before giving it to him. “It’s an old one, but I have a feeling you enjoy old things.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Is that your way of calling me old?”
“Oh no! Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that. Ugh, I’m stupid, what I meant is that you like traditions and history.” My face was surely red by now, and there was nowhere to hide.
Loki was smiling at my stuttering. “I was teasing, little one,” he laughed. “You are correct that I do enjoy history. Do you?”
He was actually asking me about what I liked? I was so shocked it took me a moment before answering. “Yes! I do enjoy history. In fact, I’m studying it in school right now. Well, online school but still.”
He appeared interested. “What about history fascinates you?”
“Everything. Learning about our history is the key to understanding us now.”
He nodded, that amused look back in his eyes. “Particular kind of history that interests you?”
“Uh, yes, history of the Middle Eastern region on Earth.”
“Why that region?”
He was trying to get answers from me, but I couldn’t figure out why. Nothing about my personal life was of any use to him. “Well, you know my name is Dana. It’s an Arabic name, meaning ‘the most beautiful pearl.’ My father came here from Lebanon so that history is my history.”
He didn’t laugh or interrupt. Instead, he listened intently to everything I said, almost looking interested. But there was no way!
“You do have a beautiful name,” he complimented me.
Laughing, I responded, “To some it is. Sometimes I wish I had a more normal name, though.”
“Why would you ever wish that?”
“Because it singled me out. In school when teachers called on me, sometimes they would get my name wrong. Sometimes it led to teasing. Nothing too bad, but I always felt… other.”
He looked thoughtful for a minute, gazing into my eyes. Those eyes could kill me, I was sure of it. They never looked at me or through me but into me, and it was terrifying.
“Well, I think it is a very unique name, which makes it even more beautiful,” he purred. He was good at this. His smooth smirk returned, and I had to drop eye contact, biting my lip.
There was a long pause of awkward silence. I prayed he would leave, but he continued to stand there. I had to say something. “Are you comfortable in your rooms?”
Loki appeared amused by that question. It was a stupid question. Of course he wasn’t comfortable here! He was surrounded by people who hated him and a long way from home.
“Yes, very comfortable. Thank you.”
“Well I had nothing to do with it really. It was Tony while I just bothered him about the noise.”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry the preparations for my arrival were so loud.”
I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t that bad. As long as I can sleep peacefully at night, I’m satisfied.”
“And have you been?”
I sat back down on my favorite chair and retrieved my book from the stand. “Quite well.” I smiled at him, realizing I was enjoying his company. And he might have even enjoyed mine. “You should join me. It’s a big library with barely any visitors. We could use some new company.”
With that, Loki took a seat on the chair across from me. “I’d be happy to,” he said kindly.