#I wrote that as vow-low but I guess my intent would be written more as voh-loh? idk pronounciation through words is hard | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elsanna-shenanigans · 3 years

Text

June Contest Submission #22: Left in the Dark

Words: ca. 4,000 Setting: Modern AU, Airport Lemon: No CW: None

A flash of lightning brightens the whole sky once more. Four seconds later, the low rumbling of thunder pierces the pattering sounds of rain hitting the large windows of the airport. The glass is working especially hard today to keep the raging storm at bay, and it doubles as the only source of light in this massive blackout.

Elsa presses her palm against the cold glass. All around her, people are expressing their fear over how long this blackout will last, calling loved ones to tell them their flights have been delayed, or are meeting this darkness with great indifference. She envies all these people, wishing she could feel something that isn’t gut-wrenching guilt.

When she pulls her hand away from the glass, her imprint from the condensation trickles and fades moments later. The last update they received before the power went out was that the weather conditions would be keeping all planes grounded for at least four hours. If people chose to catch a flight tomorrow instead, they’d be reimbursed for the inconvenience.

A lot of people chose that option, but Elsa decided to wait. She didn’t want to spend any more time in Denver than she needed to.

An hour later, when the power went out, everyone including Elsa who decided to stick around began wondering if they made the right choice. She jumps as she feels the phone in her back pocket vibrate. Hesitantly, she pulls it out and is relieved to see that it’s just a message from her mother, telling Elsa to be safe no matter what she chooses to do.

It’s not like she’s stranded in unknown territory, she still has a couple of friends from college in the city who might let her stay over for a night. And if that fails, she has enough money for an Uber ride and a hotel room. But the stormy skies aren’t the only dark clouds in Denver that she wants to leave behind, so it looks like she’s staying.

Air traffic workers outside are desperately setting up flares and other alternate sources of light on the airfield, and no doubt the airport’s technicians are working to get at least the backup power working. They won’t stay in darkness for too long, she hopes, even if it feels somewhat calming at this moment. But what else can she do to pass the time for the next few hours? Text her friends and hope they’re up for a three-hour conversation? Edit her resume? Take a nap while snuggling her backpack and duffle bag to keep anything from being stolen?

“Wow,” she says, speaking her first word since yesterday. “My life really is just one big pile of nothing, huh?”

Her existential crisis is interrupted by the gentle plucking of guitar strings that cuts through the torrential silence. It’s familiarity compels Elsa to grab her things and find the source of the melody, and though her hearing is heightened by the darkness, she uses her phone’s flashlight to guide her way so she doesn’t step on anyone. The guitar strings guide her along and bring her closer before they’re accompanied by another sound: a sweet, gentle voice comfortably singing the lyrics to the song.

Ooh thinkin about all our younger years There was only you and me We were young and wild and free

The girl singing it sounds far too young for the lyrics to pertain to her, and yet her alto voice still carries a reminiscent feel to what she’s saying. Elsa follows the secret siren up to the aisle she thinks she’s sitting in, just as the girl reaches the chorus. Though she keeps her voice down to a near whisper, Elsa can’t help but sing along as well.

Baby you’re all that I want when you’re lying here in my arms I’m finding it hard to believe we’re in Heaven

However, the music stops before the chorus ends and Elsa is left singing the last three words by herself. She purses her lips, mortified, taking a step back just in case she’s told to get lost.

“Why’d you stop singing? Your voice is really pretty.”

Now, Elsa’s even more embarrassed. She has enough common sense to realize the voice asking that question is the same voice that brought her here, but not enough to keep from shining her phone’s flashlight on her. Fortunately, the light only gets up to the girl’s chest before Elsa yelps and turns it off. Which isn't that much better, but she’ll take any victory she can get right now.

“Sorry, I didn’t think you heard me,” Elsa replies.

The girl chuckles, “Was I not supposed to hear you?”

“No, I mean I don’t know, I-I…” Elsa sighs, “I was embarrassed, I guess.”

“Well how about you stop being embarrassed and sit down?” It’s such a gentle command that Elsa doesn’t realize she could have said no until she’s used her phone’s flashlight to find an open seat right next to the mystery guitar girl. “So are you a big Bryan Adams fan or do you just know that one song?”

Darkness paints the corner they’re in and keeps Elsa from getting a good sense of who she’s talking to. It makes for one of the most interesting conversations she’s ever had. “Oh, I only know a couple of his songs, but I wouldn’t say I’m like a huge fan. A-are you?”

“Not really, but I’m a sucker for those classic love ballads, you know?”

Elsa nods before realizing she’s not going to see that. “Yeah, I know.”

She hears the woman adjust in her chair and the guitar strings squeak as she runs her fingers along the frets. “Alright, let’s see if you know this one.”

Before Elsa can ask what she’s doing, there’s a gentle yet deliberate strumming of the guitar strings unlike the soft fingerpicking from before. And once again, the woman begins to sing a song that Elsa’s quick to recognize.

And I’d give up forever to touch you Cause I know that you feel me somehow You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be and I don’t want to go home right now

“I know this song too,” Elsa interjects with more excitement in her voice than she’s expecting. “It’s by the Goo Goo Dolls, right?”

The woman stops her singing, much to Elsa’s unexpected disappointment. “That’s right, Iris.”

“A-actually my name’s Elsa.”

“What?”

“Hmm?” Elsa cringes, realizing her mistake. “Oh gosh, you weren’t calling me…you were saying the name…of the song.”

She prepares herself for the laughter, but it never comes. “Elsa, huh? That’s a really pretty name, I like it.”

“You do? I- wow, that’s…I mean, thank you. For that.” This is so strange, she’s usually much better at talking than this, she has a degree in it for goodness sakes. But there’s something that’s keeping her tongue-tied and ruining her common sense. Maybe this woman really is a siren. “I’m from Rhode Island.”

“Elsa from Rhode Island,” the woman says like she’s trying to make sense of those words in that order. “Well you’ve got a very pretty voice, Elsa. My name is Anna. From Arizona.”

Anna. The name fits, even though Elsa doesn’t actually know anything about her, not even what she looks like. “Nice to meet you, Anna from Arizona.” Though they’re in the dark, Elsa can feel that Anna’s smiling at her. Maybe because Elsa’s smiling too.

“Alright, you’ve established your knowledge of the oldies…” Anna begins to strum a soft, basic chord progression. “Let’s see if you know something a little more modern.”

Elsa’s not a music expert in the slightest but she still listens intently, if only to hear more of Anna’s beautiful voice. When she begins to sing, they’re lyrics that Elsa doesn’t recognize.

I hear the beast, its awful cry, but never see its face I feel the water coming down, it’s keeping me in place And in this stormy weather, though I should be so afraid I’m with the one who makes it fade away

Anna continues to sing, and Elsa is torn because she doesn’t know what this song is but she feels like she should. The voice accompanying the words make them sound much more beautiful and earnest, but the song is unrecognizable. When Anna begins to hum instead of sing, Elsa admits defeat. “I-I think you win, I’m not sure what this song is.”

“I knew you wouldn’t,” Anna says, abruptly ending the song. “Because it’s one of mine.”

Elsa gasps, “Not fair.”

She can sense the victorious grin on Anna’s face. “Hey, it’s a modern song. I started writing it today actually, well okay maybe writing isn’t the best word for it.”

“You wrote that today?” Elsa asks. “Have you written any other songs?”

“Yeah I’ve written a few, some of them are actually pretty good too, I think: Whenever I’ve got something in my head, I pick up my guitar and record my thoughts. I’m not trying to be the next Taylor Swift or something, but it…yeah it helps.”

A flash of lightning paints the windows and illuminates Anna’s silhouette for a moment, not long enough or bright enough to see any details other than the shape of her hair. It surprises Elsa when she realizes just how much she wants to see what Anna looks like. A minute ago, she didn’t even know this woman existed and now she finds herself considering the stupid idea of shining her phone’s flashlight on Anna’s face. Because nothing says “good impression” like blinding someone.

Another realization hits her, though it’s more of an unhelpful observation: Has it really been so long since she’s been attracted to someone that she’s falling for a random woman at the airport with a beautiful voice and nice…manners? Pathetic, she doesn’t actually know anything about Anna other than she writes songs and is from Arizona.

Hoping to at least remedy that, she searches her mind for something to ask. Something casual but informative. But Anna beats her to it.

“So Elsa from Rhode Island, you’re a long way from home, aren’t you?”

Elsa nods out of habit as thunder roars outside the airport walls, “Uh y-yeah, just a little bit yeah. And you’re…not that far from home, Anna from Arizona.”

Anna giggles like Elsa said something funny. “No, well not yet. I’m actually going to New Jersey and figured I’d save some money by taking a couple of connected flights instead of flying straight there. My parents are renewing their vows and of course they want me to be there for the ceremony. Remember that song I was singing? Heaven? That’s actually their song and I’m gonna surprise them by playing it.”

“That’s really sweet,” Elsa replies, relieved that she bit her tongue before making a joke about New Jersey. She hears a tap on hollow wood and the squeak of guitar strings as Anna slides her hand across them. She eagerly anticipates another song, but instead she gets another question.

“What about you? Any vow renewals waiting for you in Rhode Island?”

Elsa giggles, but it’s not as pretty or confident as her companion’s. “Ah no, there’s nothing…waiting for me back home.” Wow, that answer was much more depressing than she wanted it to be. Even if it’s true. “Well I mean there’s my parents. And my apartment. I guess my job counts too but other than that, there’s nothing else.” She feels like she’s making things worse.

“Oh dear.” There’s a heaviness in Anna’s reply, but Elsa doesn’t hear any pity which she’s grateful for. No one should pity her for the life she’s chosen. “So why’d you come to Denver? It’s not exactly a top vacation destination right now. Unless you like rain.”

“I love rain,” Elsa replies far too excitedly, as if rain is like her favorite thing in the world. “But no, I didn’t come here for a vacation. I…I came here…”

“Hey.”

Elsa’s startled by a hand that lands first on her upper arm and then on her shoulder. It’s soft, gentle, and she hopes it belongs to Anna or else this is getting awkward.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you’re not comfortable with,” Anna continues. But that’s the thing, Elsa feels very comfortable around Anna and she can’t explain why. All she can do is see and now feel her, but there’s something about Anna that makes her feel safe and trusted. Moreso than even her therapist.

Elsa sighs, the heaviness of this weekend’s events once again piling on her, hoping this will help her let it go. “I came here to call off my engagement with my…with my ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s- gosh, I’m so sorry that must have been really hard.”

Elsa shakes her head. “Don’t be. You didn’t know.”

“I know, but in my mind I thought you were like running from the law or something.”

“I wouldn’t have told you my real name if that were the case.” And she definitely wouldn’t be out in such a public place for so long, blackout or not.

“Wait so Elsa’s really your name?”

“Yes?”

“Holy shit, that’s pretty. I bet you’re like secretly royalty, aren’t you?”

“Nope, I’m just boring Elsa from boring Rhode Island.”

“Oh please. Boring people don’t get engaged.”

“…”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it-it’s alright. The breakup doesn’t hurt as much as it should, it was a long time coming and I prepared myself for it. But it just happened, I’d feel bad joking about it so soon.”

Though talking with Anna helps, the darkness still plays with her perception. In her mind, she’s constantly playing back the exact moment she took off the ring and gave it back to Hans. She’s remembering the shock and anguish on her ex-fiancé’s face, like she’d just stabbed him in the gut. She hears on loop his last words of “Elsa, what can I do?”

And though the images are shocking, they don’t sting any more than being pinched on the arm.

“Still doesn’t give me the right to joke about it.” Anna sighs, and takes her hand off Elsa’s shoulder. It had been on there for so long that Elsa almost forgot about it, and now she’s disappointed that it’s gone. “I must seem like such a jerk.”

“No, you’re hilarious,” Elsa says truthfully. “I’m not offended, it’s…I got all the bad feelings out of the way a while ago. I only came to Denver to call things off because it’d seem insensitive to do it over the phone.”

“That’s noble of you.”

Elsa laughs pitifully, “No. I led him on in a long-distance relationship for months while I fell out of love with him. That’s not noble at all.” She feels a tingle along her shoulder, like something’s hovering above it. The feeling goes away a second later.

“You can’t do that to yourself, Elsa. You can’t put the whole burden of the breakup on yourself. I mean, what’s the reason you fell out of love with him in the first place?”

Oh that’s a long story that will take up the rest of the word limit. Elsa thinks about the important details, the ones worth sharing, and a silly, unhelpful thought flashes in her mind like the lightning that strikes once again: What would Anna think if she leaned on her shoulder right now? She shakes that thought away and starts with her pitiful monologue.

“We got engaged about a year ago, it was actually the last thing we did before I graduated from college and moved back to Rhode Island. He still had a year left, and the plan was that we’d get married once he graduated. But it’s like…I don’t know, it felt like I was two different people when I moved back. It’s like there’s ‘Elsa from Rhode Island’ who’s calm, quiet, and likes to draw and sing in the shower, and then there’s ‘Elsa from Denver’ who’s energetic and charming, and is always trying to cheer people up with kind words and stupid memes. And I wanted so badly for both of these Elsas to coexist, but the longer I was away from Denver and Hans, the more I realized how exhausting it was trying to be who I always used to be. And when I tried to be 'Elsa from Rhode Island’, Hans wouldn’t respond to that and think I was angry or something, so I had to flip the switch. It took a while to realize that I didn’t want to keep putting on that mask, and if Hans didn’t like who I really was, then…I couldn’t fix that. I cried and panicked and did all that other stuff when I finally decided to break up with him. So much so that when I finally did it, I had already moved on. Breaking up was just a formality, like signing my name on a piece of paper. Even so, I feel guilty for doing this to him and sometimes I wonder if I just wasn’t trying hard enough to be who I needed to be. It’s stressful to think about, and right now all I know is that…I don’t want to set foot in Denver ever again.”

After a long moment of silence, punctuated by the storm outside fighting to punch through the windows, Anna’s hand makes contact with Elsa again. This time on her wrist.

“Elsa…” she starts softly. “I don’t think he tried hard enough.”

Elsa raises an eyebrow, she’s heard this take from her parents and friends, but it hits a little more when Anna says it.

“I mean you weren’t in a relationship with yourself, right? He had to meet you halfway on stuff like this, especially if you’re going to commit the rest of your lives with each other. If he couldn’t accept who you are now, then what would things look like if you got married?”

“But people change in a relationship,” Elsa argues. “What if I was just scared to change? What if I was too comfortable with what was familiar and I was scared about doing something new?”

“Well, how much can change about yourself before you stop feeling like yourself?”

This is the first time anyone’s ever asked Elsa this question before, and it shuts her up quickly. All the while, Anna continues unfettered.

“I’m not trying to be your therapist, so I’m sorry if I cross the line anywhere. But I feel like…the best relationships are the ones where neither of you have to worry about what you look like to the other person. Like you have nothing to prove because you like yourself, and they make you feel comfortable with that. And I think if you get too caught up on the whole 'changing in a relationship’ thing, it means you’ve already lost sight of why you’re in a relationship in the first place. It’s not always about what you do for each other, but what you can do together. That’s…I mean I think that’s the beautiful part of being with someone you love. That you’re you, and that they’re them, and you’re yourselves doing stupid things like eating a grilled cheese sandwich on the balcony at 3 AM.”

Elsa’s so caught up in Anna’s wisdom that her silly joke catches her completely off-guard and she snorts, “What? Where’d that last part come from?”

Anna huffs, “Look, I really want a grilled cheese right now, okay?”

“Well, uh I think I might owe you one.”

“Really? For what?”

“For telling me what I needed to hear.” Boldness overtakes Elsa and she places her hand on top of Anna’s. Though the thunder roars and whines, Elsa swears she hears a hitching of breath. “You’re quite the love expert, Anna of Arizona.”

“Oh, uh…thank you? I don’t think I’m a love expert at all. I’ve never actually…”

She trails off, Elsa leans forward. “What was that?”

“I said I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

“Oh. Wow.” It sounds like Anna’s genuinely embarrassed by this, so Elsa reassures her. “Well, that sounds ridiculous.” Or at least she tries to.

Anna laughs, but in a way that you laugh when your parents are telling stories about dumb things you used to do as a kid. “You don’t have to do that. It’s my fault, I don’t put myself out there that much and it…I don’t know, I think I might be hard to love.”

Elsa gasps, “That can’t be true. I think anyone would be lucky to love you.”

“You don’t even know me,” Anna says in almost a whisper.

“I know enough. I know that you can sing and write songs. I know that you’re caring enough to comfort a total stranger on their breakup. I know that thunder storms don’t scare you.”

“I mean it’s just loud noises and rain,” Anna mumbles.

“And I know you have a beautiful voice. A beautiful mind. A beautiful heart.”

Anna doesn’t respond right away, but she does squeeze Elsa’s wrist in what she thinks is an expression of gratitude. The more they stray down this new path in their conversation, the harder it is to assume what Anna must be thinking. How she must be feeling. Elsa can only hope that she feels the comfort that Anna made her feel just a few short minutes ago.

She hears Anna take a breath like it’s something she’s forgotten to do. “You don’t know what I look like. I could be Medusa. Or a gross, alien thing.”

“I bet you’re a beautiful, gross, alien thing.”

That gets another laugh from Anna, this one with the joy and relief that Elsa was waiting for. “Well, I bet you’re a beautiful, gross, alien thing too.”

And that’s when Elsa feels it. That pull. The daring pull forward that she hasn’t felt in the longest time. In the dark, under stormy weather, and in the quiet of their secluded corner, Elsa admits to herself the bold attraction she feels for a woman she can’t even see. It’s exhilarating and terrifying, and the words she wants to say are on the tip of her tongue. The words “I think I want to kiss you” are ready to escape like a whisper.

But a flash of light hits wall to wall, brighter than the flashes of lightning from before, and interrupts all her thoughts. The airport is finally pulled out of its blackout, and the collective sigh of the remaining hopeful passengers rings through the corridor. Unattended luggage sits on dull, gray seats, people wake violently from their naps, and Anna-

Oh.

She can finally see Anna from Arizona.

She can see her large, forest green raincoat, her guitar on her lap with its polished rosewood and silver strings, her cane resting against her chair, her auburn-colored hair traveling down her shoulders, her freckles accenting her surprised expression…

And her milky, white eyes.

It catches Elsa so off-guard, that all she can do at first is sit up and blink. When words come back to her, she manages to stumble out a “Wow…”

Anna must sense the weight in Elsa’s reaction, and she shuts her eyes. “The lights came back on, didn’t they?”

“Y-yeah, I- they did. They finally did. I mean not finally, but…Anna-”

“No,” Anna interrupts, eyes shut painfully tight. “Please, you don’t have to say anything. I should have told you when we first started talking.”

“You didn’t have to, that’s not…I…this looks bad. Not look! Not- I’m sorry, I’m making you feel worse.”

“You’re not,” Anna protests, now ducking down to bury her face against her guitar. Through the covering, she says with gut-wrenching guilt, “I’m making you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable, Anna, I'm not. I was just surprised.”

“But in a bad way, right?”

“No! Not in a bad way.”

“Ugh, I should have told you. But I was too busy being stupid and crushing on you, and I forgot to just give you a head’s up like 'Hey by the way, I’m blind and have zombie eyes, I hope that doesn’t scare you’. Stupid Anna, stupid stupid-”

Elsa puts her hands on Anna’s shoulders and says her name, which causes the rambling woman to gasp and stop talking. When she’s sure that Anna’s not going to freak out on her again, Elsa says, “Please lift your head up.”

With a little assurance from Elsa, Anna finally sits back up and her hands rest on her guitar.

“Please…open your eyes,” Elsa asks with her hands traveling down to rest on top of Anna’s.

Anna shakes her head, though thankfully her expression has softened and it doesn’t look like she has a massive headache. “I don’t want to scare you.”

“I’m not scared, Anna. And I won��t be. Just please open your eyes.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

After a deep breath, Anna cautiously opens her eyes again, accompanied by another thunder strike. Though Elsa barely registers that, her focus is completely on Anna and the nervousness she can still see through her cloudy irises. At this point, someone much more deep, profound, and better with words would say something that would make Anna’s heart soar. And Elsa’s thinking of what she’d say if she were that kind of person.

But she’s not that kind of person and that’s okay.

Elsa smiles for the both of them and says, “I told you. You’re beautiful.” Expectedly, thankfully, and earnestly, Anna smiles too.

#elsanna #submission #June 2021 contest #prompt: storm

16 notes · View notes

thorne93 · 5 years

Text

Unforeseen Chasm (Part 20)

Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together.

Word Count:2908

Warnings: Language

Song: This Feeling - The Chainsmokers

Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my novels). It’s a collaboration with the amazing @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo. It started as a funny “What if…?” and it evolved and got huge. This took two years to write. We are both proud and happy and we hope you enjoy it. It follows from Thor 1 to Endgame in the MCU. Some of the timelines may be off in order to fit certain people, and some characters may show up earlier or in different ways than they have in the movie. But for the most part, it follows the MCU. It also has a bit of crossover with some other Marvel characters throughout the story.

Masterlist for Unforeseen Chasm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That’s it, listen to the sound of my voice,” you cooed as you and Loki sat cross-legged on the rug, trying to meditate. “Try to remember the first memory of Thor. Your first truly happy memory.”

“When I stabbed him after pretending to be a snake?” he asked, his eyes closed as he smirked.

“No, I mean more of a time you two were equals. Fighting side by side. Perhaps he covered for you when you stole a cake at a feast?” you tried.

Loki kept his eyes closed, trying to remember. “Nothing. Y/N, I am getting nothing,” he finally said, sighing and opening his eyes. He got to his feet. “This isn’t working. We’ve been at this for two weeks.”

“And giving up will not help. It’s not like we have much of anything else to do,” you said, gesturing around.

Loki got closer to you and wrapped an arm around your waist. “I could think of a thing or two we could do instead of this,” he said in a low voice.

You smiled at him but put your hands on his chest. “While that is fun, it isn’t exactly helpful, is it?”

“I don’t know, a jarring bed helps clear the mind,” he said, bending down and biting your ear, making you laugh.

“Are you two done?” Tony’s voice suddenly asked, irritated.

You jumped away from Loki, startled. Loki simply glared at Tony and left the room, trying to get to the other side of the apartment where he wouldn’t be seen.

“Tony,” you greeted as kindly as you could, surprised to see him.

“Just checking in. Need anything?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.

“Don’t suppose my freedom is an option?” you joked.

“No, it’s not. If I have it my way you’ll never know what sunlight looks like again,” he promised. “Anyway, need anything? A book? Paper? Toiletries?” He began walking around the outside of the cell, probably examining it for any tampering.

“A notebook and some pencils and pens would be nice,” you tried in a meek voice.

“I can arrange that,” he simply said. “Anything else?”

“How is Shannon?” you blurted out, desperate to know about her.

“Oh, so now you suddenly care about her wellbeing?” he questioned, irritated. “She’s fine, no thanks to you.”

“Is she… does she ask about me?” you wondered, stepping closer to the glass.

“Nope. Not once,” he said, satisfaction flashing across his face at the sign of your pain.

You nodded. “That’s fair. Could you tell her… that I miss her?”

“As a matter of fact, I can’t. I won’t tell her about you at all, unless she asks,” Tony informed, his hands behind his back, gloating. “I’ll do my damndest to make sure she forgets you’re 100 stories below ground…”

Your eyes drifted to the floor. “Tony, I’m sorry,” you said, so much emotion in your voice, but remorse ringing the most. “I… I didn’t want to hurt you or her.”

“Just collateral damage for Reindeer Games, huh?” he asked, gesturing vaguely behind you. “You know, I never pegged you for a woman to lose her head over a guy, but I guess I was wrong,” Tony said, shrugging, frowning at you.

“I didn’t lose my head… I fell in love,” you answered simply.

“Yeah, with possibly the most crazy and vindictive prick I’ve ever met,” Tony retorted. “The people we fall in love with shows a lot about our own character, Y/N/N.”

Your eyes flashed to him. “Yeah, you need to remind Shannon of that,” you said pointedly as you eyed him up and down.

“I will, because.. You know, I’m free and all, and not a criminal, and I can see her every day.” He flashed you a smile and started to walk away. “Paper and pens, got it. You’ll get it sometime in the next month,” he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Even watching Tony walk away from you hurt like hell. In a split second, Loki’s hands were on your shoulders, comforting you before you turned and wept into his chest as he held you.

------------------------

Loki woke in a pool of cold sweat, sitting straight up. He made no noise other than a slight gasp.

“Darling?” you asked as you sat up with him. “Are you alright?”

He shook his head. “I had a nightmare. Thanos found us… He came for you… And he… He killed…” He broke off, staring at you with wild eyes before grabbing at you and gripping you tight before crying. You let him sob, get all of his fear and grief out.

“It’s okay, he can’t get to us. I’ll protect you,” you vowed as you soothingly stroked his back.

----------------

In the following weeks, you worked more and more with Loki. You tried to get him to remember good things. To remember that he and Thor were equals. Slowly, he was coming out of it. The brainwashing was slowly washing away. The cruelty of this Loki was ebbing away to the gentle, clever, and sweet Loki you knew and loved.

You’d asked for the paper to write Shannon a letter. You wrote on it every day, adding to it, elaborating. You were explaining your life just before the fall, up until the day you were put in this prison. The brainwashing, the torture, the ultimatum, the reasons behind all of your actions. You would hope she would read it and understand.

By now, it was over twenty pages long. It detailed why you jumped. It detailed that you fell in love with Loki a month before the fall. You explained the good side of him. The side that Earth never saw, and probably never would. The side only his family knew. You explained how Loki had been berated and ridiculed by people closest to him. In your short time there you’d seen it. The warriors teased him constantly. Odin hardly let him talk. The only real good in his life was Frigga.

You explained that while you were with Loki in the library, riding, in the forest, on the training field, he wasn’t this evil monster that was filled with jealousy and hate. He was just a man, wanting to be seen as the equal he deserved. And you saw him as that, as an equal. Your equal, Thor’s equal. Any one with a good heart, he was their equal.

You jumped, because you were in love with a man that truly understood you. A man that knew what it was like to be overlooked. A man that could make you laugh. A man that got lost in your voice as you went on and on about physics. A man that seemed to take great joy in your fascination with magic.

Then you fell deeper in love when he selflessly took the brunt of the torture and manipulation just so you would be left unharmed. When you begged him to let you take it, he refused.

He risked everything by letting you go to Shannon and apologize. He knew he was risking his own life if you all should fail, but so long as you were happy, what did it matter?

This was the side you wrote about in your letters.

Then you went on to explain just how awful it was living under Thanos’s rule. How he treated you almost like a daughter -- fitting, that a man who wanted to ruin the universe would see himself in you. Not your foster parents, not Frigga and Odin, not Diane and Tom -- no, the most sociopathic man you’d ever met, decided to spare you, take pity on you, and take you under his wing as if you were his daughter.

You told her all about Thanos, at least what you knew. You knew he was homicidal and uncaring. You weren’t sure about his overall plan, at all. All you knew was your instructions and that was it.

The letter explained why you could do the horrible things you could do to her. How even though it ripped a hole in your heart, that stabbing her in the leg was far better than Loki, you, Tony, the Avengers, and everyone else - dying. Collateral damage, to ensure that you and Loki ruled Earth, and that ultimately those you loved stayed safe.

Loki’s motivations might have been slightly… different than your own, but both of you knew, both of you were aware just how much was at stake if you lost. That’s why all sentiment had to be lost.

And yet, you still could not do it. You could not fight Tony with the intent to hurt. You couldn’t fight Shannon with the intent to kill.

But most importantly, the letters told Shannon how much you loved her more than anything in this world. No amount of brainwashing, or threats could make you forget how much she meant to you. The letters said how sorry you were, and that you did all of this, just to save her. If you failed at everything else, at least you were able to save the people you loved from that murderous being in space… for now. And that was all that mattered -- that they were safe.

----------------------

Tony arrived for his biweekly check up. It was his fourth visit in total, meaning eight weeks had passed since you’d been put in this upscale prison cell. By now you were used to the fact that Tony, and anyone else with access to JARVIS could see what you were doing at all times.

But you didn’t care. What were they going to hear? You writing? Loki reading? The two of you sleeping? That had to be enthralling for the viewers…

“Need anything?” he greeted. Clearly his utter contempt for you and Loki had not subsided. Loki never spoke to Tony, nor Tony to him.

“Could we have five more books?” you asked, at this point you hated sounding like a begging child for scraps.

“Sure. Any particular ones?” Tony asked.

You held up a list.

He rolled his eyes. “Read it to JARVIS later and I’ll get it. Anything else?”

“Could we have a handful of things so we can cook? It would be nice to have some variety for down here or if we get hungry at midnight?”

Tony thought for a moment. “Give me two fruits you want stocked, and give me some ingredients for some recipes and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.”

“That it?” he questioned, nearly through with his walk through of checking for tampering.

“Uh, no…” You used your powers of concealment and showed him the bundle of letters. “Could you take these to Shannon?”

He looked at the letters for a second too long, then looked up at you and told you a flat, “No.”

He already began to turn and walk out of the room.

“No? Tony! Wait, what the hell? Don’t I deserve to know why?” you asked, frantic.

He spun back to face you, rage evident in his expression, making you take a few steps back from the glass.

“No! No you really don’t deserve to know anything about Shannon! She doesn’t deserve this shit. So no, I won’t give her your letters.”

“Fine! You selfish ass,” you said, angry at him for refusing to deliver the letters.

He took several more strides toward the glass wall until he was right next to it. “Selfish? I’m selfish? I’m only thinking about her. If I give these to her, they’ll break her. I’m not doing that. I am not watching her go through that.”

“You have no idea what’s in them,” you argued evenly.

“Doesn’t matter. If they somehow magically explain that it wasn’t all your fault, she’ll feel guilty and want to free you -- which we can’t do. If it’s more blind resentment towards her, or me, or anyone else, it’ll just crush her. So either way, it’s a lose-lose.”

On that, he spun and left before you could beg further.

---------------------------

Another four weeks slipped by, and still, nothing from Shannon. When you asked Tony about her, he simply said, “She’s fine.” That was all he would ever say to you. No matter what you asked him, when you asked him, that was his only response.

Part of you wondered why she never came down here herself. Did she really hate you that much? Why couldn’t she just listen to you?

Other than Tony’s visits, and the occasional food and goods drop from one of his workers, you were entirely alone with Loki. Which, in many odd ways, was good. The two of you hardly had much alone time when you were on Asgard, and never alone unless it was night in that godforsaken hut you lived in on Sanctuary (a name unbefitting the elements, mind you). Then, the plot to take over Earth took place and you barely saw him.

Now, now that you two had no freedom, and were bound together in here, you got to know each other even more. It was like domestic bliss on house arrest. Not ideal, but at any rate, it got you some time to fall more in love.

And it granted you more time to get that brainwashed bullshit out of his head. Each day was a small step closer to victory for you, and for him. He slowly came up out of the cruel, wild, mess of a man he’d been turned into and was slowly turning back into your Loki.

If your fate was to be left in a cell with this man for the rest of your life, then so be it. There were fates much worse than this. In fact, this wasn’t bad at all. It was almost like Heaven -- save for lack of freedom, friends or family, at least you had him.

--------------------------------

Tony returned for another visit, and asked if you needed anything. It was at this time that Shannon, nearly one-hundred-fifty stories above you, asked JARVIS where he was.

“JARVIS, where is Tony?” she wondered idly as she worked on soldering a motherboard.

“I believe he is at Mr. Loki and Ms. Y/N’s holding cell,” the AI informed.

Shannon stood straight up. “He--what?” she asked, perplexed. “Show me.”

On command, JARVIS turned on the video of your holding cell, the outside camera where Tony stood.

“Okay, you want a board game?” Tony asked, confused and Shannon looked on. The tiniest of smiles played at Shannon‘s lips. Of course you would want a board game. That’s typical. And of course Tony would think it was an odd request.

But then the reality of the situation hit her. Why was Tony even down there? How long had he been going down there? What was he doing?

“Yeah, Monopoly. It’s fun and it’ll take up some of our time,” you tried with a shrug.

“I don’t think a game about owning and domination and money is best for the Wannabe King,” Tony remarked.

You rolled your eyes. “Fine, Twister.”

“Hell no. That is basically foreplay, and I’m not watching that unfold on my surveillance.”

Again, you rolled your eyes. “Fine, then what do you suggest?”

“Checkers?”

“God, you’re so boring,” you said with a slight laugh. “Please, Tony? Something for entertainment other than books and writing?”

“I’ll see about getting you some family friendly, non-dictator-y games,” he promised. “Anything else?”

Your powers of concealment kicked in again as you revealed the large stack of letters. “Give these to Shannon?” you requested in a soft, desperate voice.

“No,” he firmly said again. This was the third time he’d denied you.

“Tony. Please. Don’t you think she should be able to make the decision for herself? Let her read them. If she still hates me, fine, if she doesn’t then…”

“Then I have to pick up the pieces when you choose that Asgardian asshole over her, again,” he stressed, pointing to Loki who was standing in the kitchen. You turned back to look at him for a moment before sighing.

“That won’t happen.”

“And what guarantee do I have?” he asked, as if your promise were absurd.

“I’m locked in a fucking cell, Tony. What could I possibly do to her? I don’t get to see her. The letter isn’t malicious. Read it if you fucking want, I don’t care. I don’t care if you publish it in the New York Times, just make sure she reads it!” you begged.

“No,” he said again in a low firm voice, his hand making a cutting motion in the air. “And if you ask me about it again, I will go in there and burn them.” He turned abruptly and started to storm out.

“Tony… Tony! Tony!” you shouted after him, putting the letters on the glass. “Please!”

But he wouldn’t respond to your pleas. He left the same doors he always did, and they slid shut behind him.

His rejection, turned into pain, and your pain, turned to rage. You used your dark energy to pick every piece of furniture up and throw it, screaming as you did so.

All the while, Shannon watched it unfold.

Moments later, the elevator opened to the lab, where a happy Tony stepped out and walked over to Shannon.

“Hi, dear,” he greeted sweetly. He was about to kiss her when she pulled back, revealing the video footage she’d been watching. His eyes went from the video to her, panic in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List: @essie1876 @magpiegirl80 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @missinstantgratification @thejemersoninferno @rda1989 @munlis @thefridgeismybestie @bubblyanarocks3 @igiveupicantthinkofausername @kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr @kaeling @friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo @damalseer @heyitscam99 @yknott81 @sorryimacrapwriter @glitterquadricorn @xxqueenofisolationxx @little-dis-kaalista-pythonissama @bittersweetunicorm @alyssaj23 @sea040561 @princess76179 @thisismysecrethappyplace @sarahp879 @malfoysqueen14 @ellallheart @breezy1415 @marvelmayo @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @cocosierra94 @hardcollectionworldtrash @capsmuscles @marvelloushamilton

Loki: @lostinspace33 @ultrarebelheart @lenawiinchester @esoltis280 @tngrayson @wangdeasang @harrymewmew @jayfantasyatyourservice

UC:

@lokis-high-priestess

#unforeseen chasm #unforseen chasm #loki x reader #loki #loki fic #Loki Laufeyson #tony stark #tony stark fic #tony stark x ofc

38 notes · View notes

mrs-dragneel-stark-solo · 5 years

Text

Unforseen Chasm (part 20)

Part 20 of Unforseen Chasm

Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together. Word Count: 2908 Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my other fic series). first major Collab with my best friend @thorne93 what was first a simple “what if” moment turned into a two year writing session and I’ve never been more prouder of myself than when i started my first series. goes through most of the MCU plots there are some changes to accommodate for what we wanted and there is a bit of a crossover between the MCU and other characters. I hope you guys enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it.