I need a hug (closed to Loki)

[st_ayedhidden]

When Alec told her that Peter was gone, she didn't believe it. Annie knew Alec wouldn't lie, but she didn't believe him. She went through Peter's room looking for a sign and then the rooftops. His web shooters were gone, but hers remained. As she sat at the highest peak of the inn, Annie came to terms with it.

Several hours of staring off into the distance of the woods, Annie walked into the infirmary. She hoped Loki was here. She sniffled back a cry and looked around for her friend.

Comments

[st_ratagem]

Loki was in fact in the infirmary. Somehow, the thought that he was the closest thing the Inn had to an actual doctor never really stopped being funny, though it was also on the distressing side in some moods. He wasn't, after all, exactly the right personality type for the job.

Annie's footsteps weren't what alerted him to someone's presence, it was the little choked-back almost-cry. He'd heard it before, usually in the context of one of the minor child-injuries Annie tended to pick up. A quick visual survey when he came around the shelves to see her revealed no injuries, but grief and distress from her all but beat against his mind. "What happened?"

[st_ayedhidden]

Annie wrapped her small arms around her chest and hugged herself. Her lip quivered, but she didn't want to cry. She wanted to be brave and strong.

"M-...PB is gone." She said, managing to say it without her voice cracking. "He left."

[st_ratagem]

"Oh, dear one." Without letting himself think about what a bad idea it could be, Loki moved closer to her and pulled her into a hug. He didn't care too much, one way or the other, about the spider boy, but enough people he did care about cared that he it was no hardship to pretend. "I'm sorry."

[st_ayedhidden]

"It's okay," She said automatically.

She hugged him tightly and buried her fact in his chest. Annie always found Loki comforting even though she knew he didn't like her to admit it outright.

"It's not okay," She said after a moment, "But I should say that... I should be strong."

[st_ratagem]

Part of her, at least, was still attached to him as a father, so this was losing her father all over again even if her head knew better. Of course it wasn't okay. He stroked her hair. "I assure you, losing anyone you care about doesn't have to be okay, and you needn't pretend it is."

[st_ayedhidden]

She took a deep breath within the folds of his fabric.

"Can I... cry for a little bit?" She asked quietly. "I don't want to do it out there."

[st_ratagem]

“Of course you may.” After a moment to think, Loki picked her up, set her on one of the exam tables, then hopped up to sit next to her. “There. Now if you prefer to pretend you’re crying about falling off something,” which barely happened anymore, “if anyone else comes in, you can.” He understood about needing to hide weaknesses, after all.

[st_ayedhidden]

Annie smiled weakly, but the smile turned into a frown. The dam she had been holding up since she found out released and tears flowed down her pale face. She didn't sob, but she took in deep, shaky, silent breaths.

[st_ratagem]

Loki wrapped an arm around her and snugged her close; he couldn’t think of anything better to do. There probably wasn’t anything better to do... though after a short period he handed her a tissue in case she wanted to dab the tears.

[st_ayedhidden]

She leaned into him and cried until she felt a little better. Once she got her tears under control, she wiped away her face.

"I know you can't promise me anything," She said sensibly. "But, I really, selfishly hope you don't go anywhere."

[st_ratagem]

Loki chuckled. "I've already promised the Valkyrie that if something takes me from her, I'll do whatever it takes to get back. Since she's here, the same can go for you."

[st_ayedhidden]

Annie looked to him with a weak, but genuine smile.

"You like her a lot," she observed out loud. "I'm glad."

[st_ratagem]

“I’m going to marry her, in fact.” The concept was still a little strange, but not enough to outweigh the pleasure and contentment in it. “I asked her fairly recently.”

[st_ayedhidden]

Annie's eyes went wide and then she beamed. Her sadness seemed to melt away, even if only for a moment. She hugged him tightly on the side.

"That's so nice!" She said. "I'm really happy for you"

[st_ratagem]

“I’m happy for me, too.” Loki squeezed her back, briefly, then shook his head. “I think. I don’t really have anything to judge from.”

[st_ayedhidden]

"You're happy" she said positively. "And it's nice. You deserve it."

Annie hugged him again. She realized that Loki's news made up for some of the hurt she felt. She smiled softly.