Psyche trumped through New York angrily after talking with Wendy and Missy. It was weird to know that the argument would be the last thing she would remember about them. Since she figured that when she passed through the power of the Tesseract, it would be some time before she returned to Earth. Not with Loki in the condition he was in. If he was in some sort of condition, or possibly he had no condition at all…

She was so incredibly angry and disappointed in what she thought were her closest friends, and it was only 11 in the morning. And could she stomp around the streets any harder?

When she returned to Stark Tower, Clint was still asleep on the couch. Realizing this, she decided it would be more prudent to tip toe past him. But if it's one thing that one should remember when they enter Stark/The Avenger's Tower, is that when two master assassins are living with you, it was impossible to actually sneak through anywhere. Which was why when she got to the kitchen, and all but sniffled, she heard Clint say from the couch, "Rough morning?"

Psyche all but jumped out of her skin. She was pale. Clint made a noise with his throat and pulled himself up to a sitting position and rubbed his eye lazily, "Did you get your stuff?"

"How did you—"

"You looked pretty determined." Clint observed, but he glanced at her up and down and said, "You don't have much…"

"They didn't grab anything from the townhouse after the invasion." Psyche snapped quietly, "We got in an argument."

Clint's chin was resting on the back of the couch as he watched her with his sharp eyes, but upon hearing this, he gave her a sad look, "Ouch. That's a nice way to leave Earth."

"Yeah." Psyche sighed, "Any news?"

"Natasha is out scoping the city." Clint reported, "But no. If we wait for another day, we're going to call it."

"Call it?"

"A failed mission." Clint said seriously, "We can't wait forever, you know."

Psyche nodded but her neck was numb. She gave him what she hoped was a confident smile, but Clint could see right through it. He gave her a reassuring look before collapsing back onto the couch and closing his eyes, "Get some rest. When you do see him, you don't want to look like you've been up for the past three days. Take the other half if you want." And he pointed with his foot to the other side of the L-Shaped couch, a space just big enough for her. With a sigh, Psyche thought that would be best, in the long run, and she went over and curled up to snooze.

Loki had to admit, Thor was heavier than he thought he'd be. Then again, Loki was weaker than his normally was. But the fact that Thor's head was leaning on one of his largest wound, the hole through the back from his staff and the phone. "Of course, brother." Loki said out loud as he walked through Asgard almost casually, "My wounds will forever be your pillow."

Night has since fallen in Asgard by the time the two had gotten back, but Loki knew that Odin and Frigga would have had Heimdall watching for the two for them diligently. So when he made it about 50 yards, along the long empty street of the Capitol, he wasn't surprised at all to see the Warriors Three, Steve, Tony and Bruce all running towards him like some demented welcoming party. "Loki!" Steve yelled, "Loki! Is that you?"

"Y—yeah…" Loki breathed out as the others got close. Fandral quickly started to pull Thor off of him, but Loki held up his hand and said, "No. Stop. I've got him."

"Loki you're about to pass our yourself…" Bruce said, "You need to let us carry Thor."

"I will carry my brother." Loki hissed out. He thought back to when Thor gave him piggyback rides all the time when they were young, and he realized that he, himself, had never actually given Thor a piggyback ride.

"Loki…" Sif continued, but he gave her a dirty look and shoved past her and continued walking. The others followed awkwardly suit as well. Sif then said, "So what happened? Is everything alright?"

"I won't speak about this right now." Loki stated coldly.

"Why so harsh?" Fandral stated, "Why are you so coarse with your fellowmen?"

"I'm a Frost Giant." Loki stated blandly while walking stiffly. The others had to slow themselves down to keep at his pace.

They walked this way, all the way back to the palace, in complete silence after being dismissed by Loki in such a negative tone. They were nervous especially, since it was Thor that was being carried and not the usual. So many times when they had gone to battle, it was Thor that would victoriously lead the group to the palace with a big dumb smile on his face, and Loki would be the one who could hardly move. How foreign it looked, for the roles to be reversed.

When they entered the palace, a few guards had offered to carry Thor but Loki brushed them off in the same way he did with the Warriors Three and the Avengers. Once they got to the healing room, Loki gently laid Thor on the same bed that Psyche had to be laid upon, though it had been remade once again. He even moved Thor around so that his brother would be comfortable.

"Loki…" Frigga whispered to her younger son, "You're safe…Are you alright?"

Loki turned around from Thor and looked at his adoptive mother. She was swaying, or he was swaying. Yes, he concluded in his mind as he felt the blood drain from his head, yes he was the one that was swaying. And thus, it wasn't surprising at all when he fell to the ground and passed out.

Maybe this was death. Because this time around, the pain that he had been feeling was leaving him. But he was conscious that his father knew of the type of healing magic that numbed the body, and thus he guessed that if he was still alive, this would be the case. Death would just be too kind to him.

He dreamed of Psyche mainly. Her long blond hair that he thought was the sun at first, but he thought of how soft it was and how easily it slid through his fingers. He thought of her smile, how awkward she could be and it always showed. She was never completely, utterly confident, she always had to be somewhat confused or scared looking. But he never minded it, always gentle and quiet, just like he always had been, always hoped to be. He dreamed about how small and dainty she was, and how witty and quick and insightful she could be in comparison to the dense, hedonistic gods he had grown up with. He dreamed about what she might be doing at that moment, if she was safe; if she was thinking about him.

Another war was about to be waged upon the Earth while he was sleeping and dreaming about Psyche. Another war that would threaten her life and the life of the humans, all because of him. He did start all of this, this chain of events. He could have stayed out, he could have let Thor go to Earth for the first time and learn his lesson and after finding out that he was a Frost Giant, he could have just accepted it, just let it be something he had to deal with, and he could have helped Odin take care of Asgard in Thor's absence. He could have, but the pain that he had felt then was too intense for him to numb it professionally. And now the pain he felt at the thought of Psyche being unprotected was much more intense, it left a sharp pain in his stomach that was harder to live with than knowing he was a Frost Giant.

Which was why after what felt like a million dreams, he decided to open his eyes.

Everything was foggy, obviously. It would be, but it was bright and Loki knew that it was morning. He smelled the morning dew in the fields of Asgard and he heard a few of the Asgardian birds tweeting, though it was muffled, outside the large window that he knew was there, that had been there for years. When he'd scuff his knee or when he was 9 years old and he got a fever, he had spent time in this very room. He even knew that the window would be open because when Frigga would spend time in the room with him, he'd always politely ask if the window could be open.

Foggy gold, that was all that he could see. He grunted softly and tried to swallow but his throat hurt. He wondered if it was simply the next morning, or if it had been a week, or a few weeks, or even months. And whether Psyche was waiting for him on Earth.

He felt a soft hand brush his forehead, and someone spoke, but he couldn't hear them clearly. It sounded like a muffled drone and Loki shook his head to indicate that he couldn't understand. They stopped speaking for a moment and waited, as their hand stroked his cheek gently.

"Loki…?" Came the voice, a little clearer. Loki jetted his chin out, showing them that he had heard that.

Loki turned his head, and slowly the image of Psyche came into view. He sucked in a breath but he still couldn't speak. He thought how nice she looked with the sun basking against her hair. He tried to smile but it looked strained, and he watched as Psyche said, "Hey…How are you feeling? Water?" He nodded slowly and she smiled to retrieve it. Once he got his drink, Psyche continued, "I'm going to go get Frigga and Odin—"

"No." Loki whispered, "Not yet. What are you doing here?"

"I'm never where you actually want me to be." Psyche said, as she sat down and relaxed in the chair.

"How long…"

"Just a few days." Psyche reassured, "They had to pull out bits of my cellphone. But it's a Nokia so it still works."

"And how…?"

"Odin came to Earth." Psyche said, and Loki's face was almost priceless. But Psyche continued, "He had to bring Tony and Steve and Bruce back…And pick me up."

"You should be on Earth." Loki rasped, "Your home is Earth…"

"I don't have anyone on Earth." Psyche reasoned.

Loki watched how determined she looked and decided that Psyche being on Earth wouldn't be safe with Thanos on it anyway. He'd rather have her close by than running away from whatever that lunatic could concoct, so he moved on.

"Thor…?"

"He's sleeping still."

Loki nodded and turned so that he could lay his head on the pillow and relax. He closed his eyes and he felt Psyche slowly sit on the bed beside him and take his hand, and he said, "Thanos is on his way to Earth. I need you to inform the other members of the Avengers and—" But he stopped and said with a sigh, "But for now…I'll rest."

"That's a good idea." Psyche said as she reached over and slowly pulled the fabric away from his chest wound, "This is the worst one, by the way. The one with my phone. But it's healing nicely."

"Psyche." Loki scolded.

"And the bones that were broken are completely healed." She went on, and Loki realized how awkward she must have been feeling, because she was rambling so much and pulling her hair behind her ear. And, he mused with annoyance, ignoring him.

"Psyche." Loki continued.

"And you didn't even lose that much blood. Odin said that you were mainly tired—"

"Psyche!" Loki snapped.

Psyche had jumped but she moved to look down at him anyway. Loki watched as her blond hair fell over her shoulder and made a curtain, with the sun shining through it and it made him wish he could reach up and run his fingers through it. But he ignored that urge and said, "You're late."

"I—" Psyche whispered, her cheeks flushing madly, and Loki watched as her eyes started to tear up and her full bottom lip started to quiver. The destruction of two worlds, the frustration and Odinsleep of his father and the death of the Other, all by his hand, was one thing. But watching Psyche like this was another, an he watched as she whispered out, "I didn't know we had set a time. Did we decide on one?"

Loki shook his head, "No. Of course not."

"Then how can I be late?"

"You just are." Loki whispered, "But I'm glad you're here. Safe."

Psyche smiled and leaned down to kiss him, he relished in it but only for a moment before she left him to get his parents. In the mean time, he found himself sitting up in the bed himself and looking out the window, wondering what he would have been thinking just a month ago, and a month from now. Does time change everything that fast? Could he keep up this pace? For Psyche?

He watched as the suns slowly inched themselves over Asgard, and people below got up and started their day. A few were cooks, he watched some carry bread, and he watched the Warriors Three travel to and fro, most likely to a pub that Loki and Thor once visited with them. He watched as some of the servants tended to the flowers just outside the window, but they never looked in to see if the Frightful Loki was awake. So many things were happening in the world, so many cold and dense things that were causing pain and suffering, but Asgard was perpetually under the golden rays of their sanctuary, under the watchful eye of Odin and Thor, peaceful and safe and warm. Mornings and nights, these were his favorite times of the day, for they were the times when everything was refreshed once again.

When Odin and Frigga arrived, he greeted him warmly and they sat with him. After an uncomfortable pause, and Psyche announcing that she was going to have a bath, which meant she wanted Loki to talk to them alone, Odin was the first to speak, "We've decided to drop the charges, Son." And Loki thought, of course you would.

"How does the rest of Asgard feel about this?" Loki asked.

"We had some…negativity." Odin admitted, "But after explaining what you've done for us, it was minimal. Once Thor awakens he can give his full account and they will understand your sacrifices."

"I've made no sacrifices." Loki stated.

"You were intending to." Odin said, "If it wasn't for Thor—"

But Frigga leaned closer and asked urgently, interrupting Odin so that there wouldn't be a fight about who was stronger of her sons, reaching out to take Loki's hand, "Loki…What happened?"

Loki looked at his parents for a long time, and in reality, it would be Thor's account that actually meant something to all of Asgard. His own journey he'd keep to himself, for the time being, and thus he said as he looked out the window again, thinking that that evening he'd ask Psyche if she wanted to take a stroll with him through one of the brush labyrinths that were scattered around the palace lands, and how much he bet she'd like the serenity, he said "I was just a little late, mother."

The End

I've left you with one last little riddle to figure out. Let's see who realises first!

Thanks again for reading this guys! This is one of my favourite fanfictions I've ever written and the fact that it got more than 200 reviews just makes my day! Thanks for the support, the feedback, and just for reading! xxxxxxx