Amelie Stark - Need
Amelie Stark - Need
The lounge was quiet, save for the soft tapping of my fingers on the worktop of the island. Thor and Loki had just left, and Nat had cleared out the others to leave me and Tony alone, leaving behind a tense atmosphere that hung over the room like a thick fog.
"Tony." I began hesitantly, glancing up at him stood near the windows with his arms crossed. "Do you really think it's fair to continue to judge Loki based on his past?"
My uncle barely looked at me, his eyes narrowed as he stared out at the cityscape beyond the glass. "Amelie, we've been through this. He's still a danger."
"But people can change, can't they?" I persisted, my voice barely above a whisper. My eyes held a desperate hope as I searched his face for any sign of understanding.
"Maybe." He replied coldly, still not meeting my gaze. "But some things... some people... are better left unchanged."
My heart sank with the weight of his words, at the loss of his believe in the Loki I had grown to know.
"Tony, I truly believe that Loki is trying to change. I see it every day when we talk. If we just give him a chance..." My words trailed off, hope wavering in my voice.
"Amelie." Tony finally turned to face me, his expression steely and unwavering. "This isn't up for discussion. Loki is a liability. I won't have you getting close to someone like that."
"You won't have it?" I asked, the disbelief evident in my voice. "Since when have you expected or tried to be able to control anything in my life?"
"This is not the same."
I sighed. "Tony, you are one of the bravest, kindest, and most loyal people I know. How can your opinion of him change so rapidly?"
"Some things are more important. He's dangerous, kid."
Hot tears prickled my eyes. "So are you! So are all of the Avengers!" I shouted. "Everyone here has made mistakes! How many innocent people have died by our hands? Why do you get to rewrite your story but he can't?!"
"Enough." He snapped, cutting me off. "I won't argue about this anymore."
"I don’t need to argue with you about it, I'm an adult. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions."
The room seemed to grow colder, the once comforting familiarity of its furnishings suddenly oppressive and suffocating.
"Amelie, I've known Loki a lot longer than you have." Tony said, sharp and dismissive. "He's a snake, always has been. You can't trust him."
I grit my teeth. "No. You've known of him, you haven't known him. Not like I do. Not like Thor does. I've seen the vulnerability in his eyes, the genuine remorse for his past actions. How can I turn my back on someone who is trying so hard to change?"
The battle waged within me – my loyalty to the man who had always been there for me vs my belief in the one I was growing to care for so deeply.
I sighed. "I won't give up on Loki. I believe in him, like I believe in you."
Tony's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. "Amelie, you're making a mistake."
"Maybe." I admitted, swallowing hard. "But it's my mistake to make." And with that, I turned on my heel, leaving Tony alone.
I rushed down the hallway, my eyes wet with unshed tears as I hurried to Loki's room.
When I reached his door, I watched my knuckles rap gently against the surface.
There was no response. "Loki... it's me, Amelie." I said softly. "Please let me in."
"Amelie, I'm quite alright." Came an oddly emotionless voice from behind the door, sending a sudden shiver down my spine. The voice sounded like Loki, but the cold detachment was unnerving.
"Are you sure…?" I asked, concern evident in my tone. "You don't sound like yourself."
The door creaked open slowly, revealing a stiff and solemn Loki, his green eyes devoid of their usual warmth and vibrancy. His posture was ramrod-straight, as if he were holding himself together by sheer force of will. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
"Really, Amelie, there's no need for concern." He insisted, his words carefully measured. "I appreciate your... worry, but I assure you, I am well."
"Then why won't you look me in the eye?" I pressed, my brows furrowing in suspicion as I took a step closer. "What are you hiding, Loki?"
His gaze flickered to my eyes for a fleeting moment before darting away again, a hint of unease creeping into his voice. "There is nothing to hide." He said, though the words rang hollow. "I merely wish to be alone right now."
My heart pounded as I reached out to him, my hand trembling ever so slightly. The ghostly pallor of Loki's face seemed to scream for comfort, and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him like this. My fingers went to brush his cheek, but before I could fully cup his face in my hands, he jerked away.
"Please, don't." He whispered, the words strangled and pained. My eyes widened as a strange vibration emanated from his body, rippling through the air like an electric current. He seemed to flicker, as though he were a mere shadow or a trick of the light.
"Wait." I breathed, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. "This isn't real, is it?" I stared into his guarded eyes, searching for the truth behind his false façade. "You're using a projection. This... this isn't you."
Loki's eyes darted away, betraying his guilt even as he maintained his emotionless mask. I felt a wave of desperation wash over me as I realised that he was keeping me at arm's length, refusing to let me see the depth of his pain.
"Please, Loki." I pleaded softly, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "Let me in. Let me help you."
My voice quivered with concern and I could see the conflict flickering across his face - the desire to let me in, battling against the fear of exposing himself to vulnerability.
"Amelie." He murmured, his voice wavering ever so slightly. "I..."
I held my breath, waiting for him to finish, praying that he would finally let me in. The air seemed to thicken around us as Loki's image distorted again, his face twisting and morphing like a reflection on the surface of rippling water.
"I don’t..." Loki's voice emerged again from the distortion, fragmented and weak, like shards of glass pieced together in an attempt to form a coherent sentence. "I... don't know if I can."
"Try." I urged him, clenching my fists at my sides. "For me, Loki. Please."
His visage shifted again, flickering back into focus with a hint of desperation in his eyes. He stared at me, seemingly caught between two opposing forces – the desire to trust, and the instinct to retreat.
A sudden surge of energy passed through the air. It was like walking through a curtain of static electricity, each hair on my arms standing on end as the sensation coursed through my veins. The air shimmered as if it were a mirage, the illusion dissipating like tendrils of smoke. My breath hitched in my throat as I caught sight of the real Loki - crumpled like a discarded piece of paper on the floor. His face was twisted in agony, his hair a wild mess of ebony strands. The raw vulnerability in his eyes sent an icy shiver down my spine.
"Loki?" I stuttered, taking a cautious step toward him. The man before me hardly resembled the God I had come to know and care for. He looked so... broken.
"Amelie." He rasped, his voice barely audible. "I'm so sorry."
My heart clenched at his words, and instinctively I knelt down in front of him. I reached out, my hand trembling, and gently placed it on his shoulder. "It's okay, Loki." I whispered, trying to sound reassuring despite the lump in my throat.
His sad eyes bore into mine, filled with a sorrow that seemed to weigh him down. "No, Amelie." He insisted, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry for everything - for being the monster that I was, for hurting your family."
My chest tightened as I searched for the right words, trying to put my feelings into a form that could help heal the rift between Loki's past and present.
"Listen to me." I said softly, gripping his hands with a firmness that surprised even me. "You are not the man you once were. You've grown so much."
He blinked up at me, the vulnerability in his eyes pulling at my heart. "What do you mean?" He asked hoarsely, as if the words themselves were pulled from his depths.
"Bravery isn't just about facing danger or overwhelming odds." I explained. "It's also about facing your own demons and choosing to change, despite how hard it is. And that, Loki, is the truest form of courage."
His gaze dropped, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I squeezed his hands again, willing him to understand just how deeply I believed in him. "You've shown that courage time and again since you've been here." I continued, recalling countless moments of his selflessness and growth.
"Amelie..." Loki breathed, his voice quivering with emotion. His eyes flicked back up to meet mine, and for a moment, we were suspended in that shared connection, two souls bound by the acknowledgement of pain and resilience.
I leaned in, pressing my forehead against his, feeling the warmth of our bond radiate between us. My heart raced as I breathed in his scent - a mixture of earthy musk and a hint of something inexplicably magical.
"Amelie." Loki whispered again, his breath brushing against my lips and sending shivers down my spine.
My hands moved to either side of his face, my fingers gently caressing his cool skin as I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. They were pools, shimmering with vulnerability and a depth of emotion I had never seen in him before. It was as if he was baring his soul to me, letting me see the man beneath.
"Loki." I murmured, my voice wavering with the intensity of the moment. Our gazes locked, and I saw a flicker of uncertainty cross his features.
I knew that Loki was not the same person who had once plagued the Earth with destruction and chaos. He had grown, changed, and found redemption in the most unlikely of places, here among the Avengers… and in my heart.
"Amelie." He whispered once more, his voice strained with vulnerability. "You know what they say about me - that I'm a monster, a traitor…"
"Stop." I interrupted, silencing him with the intensity of my gaze. His piercing eyes held anguish and doubt, emotions I wished I could banish for good. But all I had were words, and so I offered them freely. "Loki, I believe in you more than anyone. More than anything."
A flicker of surprise crossed his features before he looked away, as if the raw honesty of my words was too much to bear. He opened his mouth to speak, but faltered as I shushed him gently.
"I need you in my life, Loki. More than you could ever know."