Work Text:
More than anything else, Loki wanted a quiet place to sit down. Alone. A feat made incredibly difficult when every surviving member of the Asgardian race, as well as a few outcast warriors, were stuck on a floating ship in space.
So while everyone else, including his hovering older brother, was asleep, Loki slipped into the pantry and scoured it for something to drink.
Because after the events of the week, the prophesied destruction of his homeland, being discovered by Thor, his father’s death, and all of his confusion over his place on Asgard, the fallen prince who everyone thought was dead only a few days ago… Loki had a lot to think about.
And he preferred not to think at all.
So Loki, not a particularly strong drinker, looked through the boxes for the strongest drink there.
He located the pantry pretty easily, even though the supply was lacking. No one had been drinking alcohol during dinner, so Loki suspected only him and one other person knew this pantry existed. It wasn’t hard to guess who.
Loki pulled out the largest bottle, a Sakaarian drink he remembered being given by the Grandmaster. He popped it open and tilted, feeling it’s contents rush down his throat. He should have done this hours ago. His tolerance not as high as most others, something he thought amusedly might have to do with his Jotunn blood, Loki was already flushed and lightheaded after a single drink.
But flushed and lightheaded didn’t cut it. He hadn’t slept well in months, and thought idly how much he’d have to drink to pass out, to enter a nightmare-less sleep, and finally rest.
Only the sound of the jet’s humming could be heard. Loki indulged in the silence, the ironic peacefulness that destruction had wrought. He wished the pantry had a window, so he could watch as they passed through distant galaxies and approached Midgard.
Midgard. Loki pushed that thought away, as he wondered what would await him there. He knew after all the havoc he had wrought on Earth, it was the last place he should be going. But with no way out, and no desire to trek through the galaxy alone at this moment, he was stuck there.
Loki shook his head, as if to rid himself of the darker thoughts, and focused once again on the quiet. The serenity. The calm.
Then he heard the door creak open slowly, and should have known that luck was never on his side.
“If you’re trying to sneak up on me,” he began softly, before turning around, “You’re doing a horrible job.”
“Laki?” Valkyrie whispered harshly, her indignation showing clearly.
“It’s Loki.” He corrected, but he was aware that she knew by now. Loki didn’t miss how she never called Thor by his first name, only referring to him as Your Highness, but she insisted not only on forgoing his title, but also on saying his name wrong. It was no matter, for Loki forfeited his title of Prince long ago.
“What are you doing in here?” She asked, her fist crumpled by her side. She was dressed in her white and gold armor, a symbol of the strength of the Valkyrie, however some of the decorations had been removed. Her hair was haphazardly tied up, with locks falling around and framing her face. Loki thought amusedly that she could be quite pretty when she wasn’t trying to stab him. Her eyes flicked to the bottle in his hand.
“I assume you were the one who nearly single handedly emptied the pantry.” He said, tilting the rest of the contents down his throat, not even trying to hide the smirk as it appeared on his face.
She reached towards him and pulled it out of his hand. “Would you take that to the trash for me?” Loki asked innocently, flashing his teeth at her. “It’s empty.” He said, and reached for another bottle, however when he clenched his hand, he felt nothing but air. He tried again, this time concentrating on the box, before he heard a dark chuckle in the back.
“One bottle and you’re already drunk.”
“We’re not all alcoholics like you.” Loki sneered.
“Better a drunkard than a liar,” she replied evenly as she reached in and grabbed two bottles. She offered one to Loki, who, both surprised and dazed, accepted gracelessly.
They popped open the bottles in unison, and Loki took a few sips before lowering it. Valkyrie gargled it all down in one shot. Show off.
After a few moments of silence, Loki spoke softly. “I haven’t lied to you.”
“Is that so?” She said thoughtfully, reaching for another bottle.
Loki scrunched his nose as he watched her gargle down another drink. “You know, that’s a terrible habit for a maiden.”
Valkyrie almost choked on the alcohol. “And you’re an expert on all that is proper? It hasn’t slipped me, although I wish it had, what ship codes you obtained from the Grandmaster.”
“I use any and all skills at my disposal.” He replied, amused, with no remorse or shame.
“So you admit?”
“To nothing,” and he lifted the bottle to his lips once again.
“You know I never thanked you.” Valkyrie said after a long silence. Loki tried to cover up the fact that he nearly choked on his drink in shock.
He recovered instantly. “Oh, you’re very welcome, my lady.”
“Such an ass,” she said, and shoved him aside. Had she not been so strong, it would have been endearing. “You don’t even know what I’m thanking you for.”
“Believe it or not, gratitude is not something I receive often. I’ll take it as it comes.” And he tilted the bottle again.
“I.. I kept trying to forget…”
And suddenly Loki realized he didn’t know what he was being thanked for.
“I… Sakaar, the drinks, it was so much easier to wallow away, to run away. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be there…”
Surely she couldn’t be thanking him for. “Oh,” said Loki, a smile creeping up on his face again. It was unnatural, and his cheeks ached at the effort.
Valkyrie paid him no heed. “I know you did it to mess with me, but I needed that. Needed to be reminded.”
Unsure of what else to say, Loki settled on, “So does this mean you’re done drinking?”
“Of course not.” She replied, as if Loki had told her Asgard’s sky was green. “I’m just done running.”
Loki wondered what that must feel like. To have your life’s purpose cruelly stripped away, only to find it again centuries later. Must feel peaceful.
Loki could not relate, he could not recall ever having a purpose to begin with.
“Your turn.”
“I beg your pardon?” Loki said evenly, keeping his gaze forward.
“I shared something personal, now it’s your turn.”
“Ah,” the sound came out muffled, as his words started to slur. Mind was numbing, no more pain. “I was unaware that this was a transaction.”
“You were injured, recently. How about we start with that?”
If Loki was startled by her assessment, he didn’t let it show. “And what, may I ask, gave you that impression?”
“You favor your left side in battle. I noticed it twice, on Sakaar, when I beat your ass, and on Asgard, fighting Hela’s army. But you’re bad at guarding it, so you haven’t gotten used to the way it restricts you yet. It’s new.”
“You’re wrong about one thing.” Loki started, wondering why the words were coming out. “It isn’t new, I’ve had it for two years.”
“What happened?”
And at this point, Loki knew he was drunk, because he was not one to disclose his weaknesses so easily, especially to someone who had tried to kill him a few days prior.
“I was impaled.”
“Ouch.” Was all the Valkyrie had to say, and Loki was proud of himself momentarily for rendering her speechless.
He gave a slight nod, and rested his head back against the cabinet, emitting a soft thud as his head met with metal.
“You know that doesn’t count, right?” When he didn’t respond, she went on. “That was just surface. Literally.”
“Hey, give me something, Loki.”
He breathed in sharply. “What would you like to know, oh valiant Valkyrie? That I never anticipated living this long, so I don’t know what to do? Or where to go? That I’ve lived so long in my brother’s shadow that it almost feels comfortable? The fact that I all but killed my father? You should ask Banner about what might await me on Midgard. How about the fact that I’ve been posing as Odin for two years on Asgard? Or did Thor already tell you that?” He spat out each question, urging her to see what was before her. She would learn the hard way that she did not want his companionship. If she was truly so bored, she should seek another.
“You detest yourself,” Valkyrie said, as if the realization had shocked her.
“Not anything nearly that simple, my lady. I only recognize myself for the monster that I am.” And this time Loki downed the entire bottle in one gulp.
“Thor would disagree,” she said, and moved from her position next to him so that she could look at his face. He felt entirely vulnerable under her harsh stare.
“Thor’s...a...fool.” Loki’s mouth was getting awfully hard to move. His body slumped even more against the cabinet.
“He’s your brother. And he cares about you.” She almost sounded angry.
“That’s why… he’s a fool.”
“You’re screwed up. Even your truths are lies.” She said, and stood up. “That’s it.”
Loki mustered up all the remaining strength he had and flashed her his most charming grin. He bared his teeth a little, for added emphasis. “Leaving? We… we were hav- having,”his bravado died down when Loki realized he couldn’t even finish his sentence.
She leaned down and harshly pulled him up. “Can you walk, or will I have to carry you?”
Loki wanted to say, “Unhand me, you wench.” But instead, he mumbled, “Walk.” As he failed to pull himself out of her irontight grip. She kept an arm around his shoulders steadying, and occasionally steering him through the halls. The walk from the pantry to his room was a blur, and Loki did not even have time to wonder how she knew where his room was. He did not fight as he was lowered into his bed, armor and all.
He heard soft footsteps get farther until they stopped, a few feet away. “Idiot. You’re wrong, Loki. About yourself.” She whispered softly, and closed the door behind herself.
It was the kindest thing he’d heard in a while.