Prologue

Everything had been perfect up until that pivotal moment. The love of your life was fatally wounded to the point where even Wakandan science failed and you were forced to watch him fade away. Loki had used his remaining energy to teleport to you and as you held his wheezing and shaking body close you heard him whisper "I will always love you."

You screamed and wailed as you shook his lifeless form as if you could bring him back to life through sheer will alone. You heard the sounds of the ending battle through a thick haze of heartache and anguish but you were unable to properly focus on your surroundings. You cursed Thanos and his godforsaken plan for the universe and you felt rage course through your veins as you imagined him bloody and beaten and in pain.

Loki's sacrifice better be worth it, you thought grimly, that purple lump of arrogance had to be erased from this universe once and for all. You closed your eyes and you immediately thought back to the first time you had met the demigod that was currently growing cold in your arms.

After Loki's failed attempt to rule Midgard he was taken to Asgard and thanks to Frigga and Thor his judgement turned out to be less harsh than anticipated. Odin ruled that he would be stripped of his magic and that he had to serve the Avengers as penitence for his attack on their realm.

He was a cranky pouting mess of a demigod turned human when you first encountered him and you certainly never expected to fall in love with him then. You were working as SHIELD director Maria Hill's assistant and since she wanted to oversee Loki's transfer into their custody personally you were one of the first people to meet him.

He was less than pleased to be reduced to an ordinary being and you knew he only behaved because he feared the dungeons of Asgard. You made an effort to be welcoming and gentle and you soon realised how much pain Loki was carrying and you even discovered hidden motives for his strange behaviour in the past.

You got to know him better and over time your feelings for him changed from friendly affection to romantic adoration. You never expected him to feel the same but he managed to surprise you with an elaborate string of gifts and dates that made you feel cherished. Everyone had been suspicious of his intentions and you knew that your colleagues had been wary about you entering a relationship with the God of Mischief but that soon changed.

You were happier than you had been in a long time and people commented on Loki mellowing out and getting less confrontational with his team mates. Even after his mandatory sentence ended he decided to stay on Midgard and you were pleased to see that he genuinely seemed to enjoy himself.

He took you to Asgard one time to meet Odin and Frigga and while you were terrified the entire time you did enjoy seeing the sights. Loki's mother turned out to be the loveliest and kindest woman you had ever met and you could see how much she had impacted his development and magic. He even managed to reconcile with Thor and despite complaining about his overbearing brother constantly you knew that he liked the attention.

The next time you heard news from Asgard, Loki learned that Malekith of the Dark Elves had killed Frigga and you took time off work to support him through his grief. He felt guilty for not being there to protect his mother and it took him a while to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

Things escalated again soon after when Thor took Loki to meet Odin who was nearing the end of his life and who wanted to spend his last moments with his sons. You didn't hear from either of them for months and you had already feared the worst when a huge spaceship containing Asgard's population arrived over Norway.

Loki immediately sought you out and when he relayed the events of them getting stranded on Zakaar and having to fight their sister Hela to save Asgard you could barely believe your ears. The experience had brought the royal brothers closer than ever before and when you visited for Thor's coronation your heart swelled with affection for the two gods. You stayed in New York City to continue working for SHIELD but Loki often took you to visit New Asgard to spend time with Earth's newest inhabitants.

You were brought out of your memories by a loud crash nearby and you blinked through your tears to look over the battlefield. Thor was summoning lightning all over the place and you registered with relief that the enemy forces seemed to be dwindling significantly. You still remembered the day Dr. Stephen Strange suddenly appeared at SHIELD headquarters to warn everyone of Thanos and his search for the infinity stones.

Nothing could have prepared you for seeing his monumental army rushing across the plains of Wakanda and when you glanced at Loki's pale face you felt fresh tears burning a trail down your cheeks. Your broken sobs echoed through the laboratory as bittersweet images of your time with the demigod flooded your brain.

You didn't know how long you sat there, staring into nothing but eventually you heard your name being called and you returned to the painful reality. You were faced with proud looking Avengers and King T'Challa who informed you of their victory over Thanos. You stared at them for a long time and in the end all you managed was a weak smile.