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Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 20: Time to talk

Notes:

Surprise! it's an update :D
Thank you all for waiting so patiently for this. I can promise you that this story will not be abandoned, like ever! I will finish writing it, do not doubt that. But sometimes life comes knocking, and you have to take the time it takes. Thanks to those of you who are still following this story and commenting.

You are all worth your weight in gold, especially my wonderful beta Wixs.
So, without further ado. I present to you, Chapter 20.

Chapter Text

Harry woke up to the sun's warm rays dancing over his face. He groaned, annoyed that he had forgotten to close the curtains yesterday. For a second, it was hard to know what was still a memory dream and what was reality. He pressed one of his hands over his eyes to try and push back the throbbing sensation that was making itself known. No, scratch that. This was the real world, no doubt about that. His whole body was stiff, and his back was the worst. 

 

Harry stared up at the white ceiling through his fingers. Memories from yesterday invaded his mind, making him frown as something similar had happened in his memory-dreaming. That probably explained why he had some difficulties discerning reality. He felt a sour taste in his mouth as he tried to get his saliva to work, rubbing his sore forehead.

 

 Harry relaxed into the soft mattress, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings as he grounded himself. With each breath he took, he could feel the walls vibrating with life and taste magic in the air. The residual memories were at the forefront of his mind. They were nothing special. It had been Harald, Loki and Thor discussing the matter of Asgard late one night in front of a sparkling fire.

 

Harry could still remember the tickling smell of burning wood. The crackling sound was like a lullaby, and he remembered the feeling of running his fingers through Loki's night-black hair, letting his nails lightly scratch his scalp. The heat from the fire against his shin made the skin feel tight, and Thor's deep voice created a perfect bubble around them.

 

It was warmth and love, without a doubt, a familiar situation for the three of them. Harry opened his eyes again, not remembering closing them as he forced down the bile trying to make its way up his throat. He tried to force down the bittersweet feeling now surging at the memory. It felt like his entire existence was trying to taunt him, dangle what he had once had and had subsequently lost right before his eyes.

 

He had no right to the feelings the memories contained. It wasn't Harry's life. It was Harald's. But was it so wrong of him to want to cherish these memories? To be a part of them? Even if he, Harry, wasn’t a part of them? It must be a normal reaction, right? But then again, who was he to decide what was normal and what was not?

 

He had never been considered normal in his entire life. Even as a baby, his existence was seen as a miracle, having survived the killing curse. Before he was eleven, he thought he was no more than a freak, unwanted, and a burden to his aunt and uncle. Then, his world was turned upside down when he was told he was a wizard—an important one, for that matter. 

 

Throughout his school years, the war and fighting, he had never been normal, constantly ending up in strange situations and plots. So no, he was not the right person to say what was normal. But, to him -Harry - waking up like this was a new experience, the feelings bubbling inside him were almost unknown, yet it all felt so familiar as the memories of

Harald’s time blended with his, robbing him of his own first-time experience of it all.

 

Warm air caressed his neck, snapping Harry out of his spinning mind, and he suddenly became hyper-aware of the warm body lying next to him. He was no stranger to having someone warm his bed; there had been a few throughout his school years, and it had been an excellent way to relax and take his mind off the world outside.

 

 However, given his current complicated emotional and romantic situation... Yeah, that was a new can of worms that Harry was not equipped to poke at, not yet, at least. Harry tried to tell himself that he was stupid: everything was all right, and he should not feel conflicted over the other soul slowly taking over his own. But was it really right?

 

 Harry had always struggled with romantic feelings or the concept of love, not knowing quite what he could expect from the emotion. Being a touch-starved and neglected child - Hermione's word had been 'abused' – not that he would ever admit it, but as a child, no one had given him any good experiences or references for that so-called ‘love’ everyone was talking about.

 

 It took his friends a lot of work to relearn a decade of neglect and twisted words. Some days, he could still feel it all weighing down on his shoulders. But now, with Harald's memories, he suddenly had a completely different set of references to what love was and what it felt like without even experiencing them himself, and he craved it. The need to touch and feel the warmth of his significant other was engraved in his very soul. It was different, and it scared him in a thrilling kind of way, and he wanted to explore it more. But he held back. This was not the time for that. How much he desired those lips sent shivers down his spine, making him crave more. Harry raised his hand to carefully stroke away the hair that had fallen over Loki’s face but pulled back at the last second. He didn’t want to disturb him now that he seemed to be getting the rest he needed.

 

Loki’s skin was almost transparent, and there were large bags under his eyes. Loki was more mentally exhausted than he had let on. As he should have been, Loki’s mind had been on the edge of breaking. Right now, as he slept, the deep wrinkles on his forehead were smoothed out, and his mouth was half open and relaxed, unaware that he was being stared at.

 

A soft tickling sensation came over the bond, breaking Harry out of his thoughts. The soft feeling of his soulmate’s presence suddenly felt too raw and personal for his mind to handle. Harry never knew the weight of a promise like the one he made with Loki last night. To try again, to do it together this time. It would be even more challenging than facing off with Thanos, which still was a little bit anti-climactic, truth be told, but he was happy nonetheless that that part was over.

 

Still, how could he help Loki with his demons when he continued to struggle with his own? Last night, the shattering pain that had gone through his chest had been horrible enough. It was so much worse than the small pinches he had before. By the gods, it had felt like his very soul had been ripped in two.

 

How could Loki even want to be close to him after everything Harald had put him through?

Harry wasn't stupid. He knew it was all because of Harald's death that Loki had fallen into Thanos' grasp, one way or the other. How could he have been foolish enough to think that Loki's family would care for him when he knew his mate’s struggle growing up?

 

 Harry slowly untangled himself from Loki without waking him up and exited the bed stiffly. He picked up a shirt lying on a chair and put on a pair of pants, ignoring socks as he walked barefoot out of the bedroom. The coldness of the floor grounded him in the present.

 

The corridor outside was quiet and still. Nothing from the outside world penetrated the thick walls, which felt strange. There had always been some noise around him, if not the house’s creaking, then the chatter of some magical being was always around. Here, there is just a low hint of humming from the walls, but not even that could be called noise. Harry let his eyes wander as he walked over to the kitchen. His steps were stiff, and he could feel his muscles protesting being in motion, but he ignored it as he needed to move.

 

Harry paused in the opening to the kitchen and took the whole thing in. Everything was highclass and exclusively done, even he knew that with only one look, but that was not all. It was also filled with all this new technology, some of which he had never seen before, and he had been the main cook in the Dursleys' house, so he was no stranger to cooking devices. But this? This was like he was back at eleven and was introduced to the Wixen world—a new world of steel and electricity.

 

Harry slowly walked inside and looked around in the cupboards, quickly finding where they kept the cups. He even found bread and put one in the toaster, only for the machine to sparkle under his touch and fizzle out with a soft popping sound.

 

“Oh, come on!” Harry protested as he stared at the now-broken toaster. 

 

Why? Why could nothing go his way? He wanted to scream and blow things up in frustration, and he could feel the magic inside of him rippling underneath his skin, making it crawl and feeling too tight for his liking. Harry took a deep breath and let it go. He hoped he did not need to explain how he could kill the poor toaster to anyone.

 

Harry looked down at his cup and then over to the coffee machine. The shiny, high-tech, ready-to-pour machine. Of course, he needed to push the display to get it to work. Honestly, he had never entirely understood the fascination with coffee in the morning or the need that some people developed for the dark drink to wake up and function. However, he could appreciate the taste and now felt like a perfect time for a cup of coffee to calm his inner storm.

 

 Only this time, when he really, really needed one, he was hindered by the high possibility of him making the whole thing go ‘boom’, and then there would be no more coffee and no more machine for that matter either.

 

“If I may,” the sudden voice interrupted Harry’s thoughts as he looked up at the ceiling. “I can help you start the machine without touching it, Mr Potter.”

 

“Wait, you can do that?” He wondered, was this really not a magical house? 

 

“Yes, everything is connected to me. Or if it would be more to your liking, I could call up a coffee from a nearby café that Sir like if you would prefer that?” Jarvis informed him. 

 

“You don’t have to do that," Harry breathed out, hurried to put his cup beneath the machine, and stepped back. “This will do just fine. Thank you.” Harry smiled and put down the mug as the machine sprung to life without him even coming near the buttons. “Sorry about the toaster," he apologised sheepishly. “I will pay for it.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. I have already ordered a new one to be brought up in the afternoon.” 

 

Harry thought better than arguing with an invisible voice as he glanced at the fridge, walked over to it, and made an experimental tap on it to see if he blew it up. When nothing happened, he smiled and opened it. The fridge was overflowing with a variety of food, everything from ham, cheese, vegetables and other kinds of milk.

 

 Harry looked at one container and frowned slightly. Almond milk? Could you do milk from almonds? How did that work? Was it like pumpkin juice? Anyway. Harry put it back and took out the regular milk. He filled his cup to the desired amount of each liquid before sitting at the kitchen island and breathing calmly. There was no point in thinking about what could have happened or what happened. The only important thing is that it didn't happen right now and that they were alive. The next obstacle was to face Odin.

 

They have no choice but to face the problem head-on. Despite what happened to Loki, they were still his family and the realm he came from, and he would not give up without a fight. They could run away, hide in one of his houses, and probably be happy, but for how long?

 

 After his experience with running away from an enemy, it was easier to take the bull by the horns and make the best of it. He was here now and would fight for Loki tooth and nail if he had to. He would challenge the All-Father himself, if he must, to protect Loki. For Merlin's sake, he would probably take on what's left of Thanos's fleet if they threatened his soul mate.

No one could hurt another hair on his mate’s head. If they did, they had to face the master of death.

 

Harry feels a thrilling shiver run down his mind at the thought. Then, they would learn that death was not the worst thing that could happen to someone. Instead, death would be a blessing for whoever hurt Loki now that Harry was here. And it was not because of the memories and who he was once. At least, that was what Harry tried to tell himself as he fingered the edge of his cup.

 

Why were people so hung up on death being the worst alternative anyway? There were so many other things that could be worse than death. Death was only hard on the living, not the dead. Harry looked out of the enormous window and continued to think while the coffee warmed his cold fingers.

 

 He had no idea how long he had been sitting there before he felt that he was no longer alone. The first indicator that he was no longer alone was a warm tickling feeling that bloomed in his chest, and then he heard the soft steps walk towards him. He looked up only to be met with a now clean and newly showered Loki.

 

 Loki held out a hand, and Harry noticed a mug appear in his hand with black, newly ground coffee. How he filled up the coffee, Harry didn’t know, but he would admit that he felt slightly impressed by the casual display of magic. Loki took a sip of the black liquid and exhaled contentedly as he leaned on the counter and then paused: "what in the name of the nine realms are you drinking?" He asked in a mortified voice.

 

The question came so suddenly that Harry looked down into his mug, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he maintained a neutral expression. "Coffee?" 

 

Loki now almost looked offended. "No, not with that colour. What did you do to the poor drink?"

 

"What's wrong with my coffee?" Harry asked in an amused tone. Loki wasn't the first to comment on his choice of coffee…. Or milk with the taste of coffee would probably be the best description of the drink. He drinks coffee, just not the pitch-black brew that is bitter and far too horrible for his taste. He liked the slightly softer taste, and milk was perfect for that. Maybe some caramel or pumpkin syrup in it, and it would have been a real winner in his book. Something he was sure his other half wouldn't agree with. Interestingly, this was not something that Harald's memories had covered yet. It made Harry feel like there was something new yet to discover.

 

"It's almost white!" Loki moved closer and looked down into the very bright brew before looking down into his cup and pointing at it. "This is coffee. Of good quality, I reluctantly admit. Stark knows this stuff,” Loki angled his mug containing the almost black liquid, "and you have enough guts to dishonour this lovely drink like that?”

 

 Harry snorted. "Just because I have a little more milk than coffee doesn't make it less coffee."

 

"A little bit?" Loki commented flatly, "It's more like half milk, maybe two-thirds? Does it even taste like coffee anymore?"

 

The look of horror on Loki’s face made Harry laugh. “Well, yes,” he said, “It is exactly right”, and he demonstratively took a large gulp of his 'coffee' and made a show of his sigh afterwards as he grinned at his other half.

 

“Perfect!” Harry hummed. “It tasted so much better than that lethal mix you have there. It almost resembles motor oil from here and probably tastes like it.”

 

Loki laughed. "No, my star, the coffee shall be as bitter and black as my soul is to have the right quality." Loki took a large mouthful of coffee, and Harry had no idea how his mouth could stand that heat.

 

There was a sudden tension in the air. Harry stared at Loki, and it felt like the world was moving slowly for a second. He could see everything so clearly. Everything from how his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed to the corner of his eyes cringle as their eyes met over the mug’s rim. 

 

Harry knew that he had been caught staring at him. Not that he felt ashamed of the action. Whether he accepted that Harald’s soul was slowly pushing him away or that he was now bonded to this gorgeous example of a man.

 

 He could appreciate what he got and go with the flow. So, with that, Loki was his to stare at, however much he wanted. Possessiveness swept over their connection, and Harry could see one side of Loki's mouth pull up in a small, amused motion.

 

 “And here I thought I was the darker part of this union,” Harry forced out in a much deeper tone than before, "being the master of death and all that.” 

 

Loki’s brow furrowed briefly while he considered it but then shook his head. “Nope, can’t see it. You are my light, my guiding star in the darkness.” 

 

Harry snorted and shook his head. “Agree to disagree,” he said, and Loki hummed.

 

 A comfortable silence settled over them, and Harry couldn't help but let his brain begin to drift. He hoped that Hermione and Ron were fine wherever they were and would not kill him on sight when they regrouped, especially when Hermione heard about the invasion. Speaking of the attack, with Thanos out of the picture, there would be no evident threat to them for the time being, but Harry felt it was not over yet. The only question now was what they would do with the infinity stones that were still hidden, and what would they do? Would they find the stones and store them safely on Earth? Harry couldn't see that as a good idea. Should they let them be?

 

“Perhaps we can collect them all and keep them in Asgard?" Loki suddenly asked out loud, starling Harry out of his musing. 

 

He didn’t say that out loud, did he? 

 

Loki looked at him, amused. “No love, but you were thinking it really, really loudly. Are you always this loud?” He mused. “Makes me wonder if you are even louder in the bed.” 

 

A warmth spread out from Harry’s cheeks and down his neck, and he choked on his saliva and could not help but chuckle. “Want to find out?” He teased. 

 

Loki looked down at him, his pupils dilating, making his eyes almost black with desire and need as he leaned lightly over Harry with a challenging smile.

 

 “But,” Harry said as he put his forehead to Loki’s and looked him straight in the eyes, "we have time for that too. Now I want to know what you mean by taking the stones to Asgard."

 

 Loki closed his eyes and sighed, "It hurts to admit it, but they have a good vault to store… priceless artefacts in." He spoke the words like they burnt his mouth.

 

 "That doesn't mean we can trust them." Harry’s tone turned darker. He hadn’t met them in this lifetime, but considering everything that happened after Harald’s death and their neglect of Loki’s needs…. He couldn't see himself trusting them enough to even think of giving them something valuable or having Loki in their presence again.

 

 "If there is one thing, it is that Asgardians do tend to protect their interest," Loki bit out, leaving the fact that he was not included, out of his words. 

 

“Yes, but these are also the people that Harald trusted to keep you sane and alive. Look where that got us. They could not stop you from practically losing yourself and give that woman a chance to-” Harry hissed as he clenched his fist.

 

 The knowledge that Loki had fallen off Bifrost and that his so-called Aunt had done something horrible to his mate made him physically sick. But as soon as those words left Harry's mouth, he regretted them as it looked like he had hit Loki in a rather sensitive spot if the darkness in his eyes told him anything. 

 

“Can you blame them?” Loki sneered as he pulled away, “no one could have fucking stopped me even if they had tried to do so. Why should they?”

 

 “Because they are your family?” Harry said. 

 

“That's the problem!” Loki exploded, and the mug he held soared through the air and shattered in many pieces against the window, which remained unbroken by the assault. “Family? HA! Don’t make me laugh,” he sneered as he flung out his arms. “None of them care about me. They never did! I was only a prize in their grand palace. And when I was broken, I was thrown away like yesterday’s trash. So why should they care? They don’t even know how to care. " Loki spat out. His hands shook as emotions cursed through him, as whatever damage had been done to him was still very much raw to the bone.

 

 In the morning light behind the god, Harry could see how haunted Loki really was. He saw how the hollow cheeks cast hard shadows over his face, and his eyes were dark with pained emotions.

 

 "I know that Thor cares enough to step in and defend you if needed," Harry offered in a low voice. 

 

“You don't know anything!" Loki sneered and wandered back and forth, hand digging through his hair.

 

 It was like every bitter and resentful thought Loki had had in the past was bubbling out of him. “YOU WEREN’T THERE!” He flung out his arm and stared down at Harry, eyes nearly pitch black. His chest moved harshly with each breath, and his arms shook at his sides. 

 

“No, I wasn’t.” Harry tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. “And I will live with that knowledge for as long as I exist. There is still a shit load of things I don’t know or remember. But I know that I’m here now, and I will never leave you to face it alone."  

 

Loki grimaced but couldn't hold back the raw emotions that raged inside him. Loki held back a keening sound that threatened to rip his throat open and felt the coldness sip under his skin. It was like the beast...the monster that raged inside him wanted to tear everything apart. It wanted to come out, and he wanted revenge for what was done to him. But then that would mean that Harry would see what he really was, and Loki could not risk that. He could not risk losing him again—monster or not.

 

Harry stood up to reach out to him, only for Loki to back away as the touch would burn him if he made contact. “Please, no. I'm, I-I’m not in control right now, and you might get hurt. I won't… I can't….” He floundered through the words. 

 

Loki drew in an almost painfully deep breath, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back in a stretch. He wasn't going to lose control, not now, not when he finally found the lost part of his soul. But what if this was all in his mind? What if he was really broken? That would explain how he could feel so…complete. This was all a dream. Nothing here was real, and when he opened his eyes again, Harry would be gone, his soulmate would be dead, and he was once again lost.

 

Loki suddenly flinched as Harry touched his arm. The liquid feeling of electricity sparkled alongside his arm, and his eyes snapped open only to stare down at his mate.

 

 “You won’t hurt me, Loki, and I’m not going anywhere,” Harry said in a low voice. 

 

Loki stared down at him, trying and failing to catch his breath as he felt how his mate’s magic swirled over his skin, and he wanted nothing more than to suck it all up. Loki shuts off the part of his mind that was overthinking, looking it away tight with the long overdue panic attack and probably a thousand feelings of whatever was behind that massive wall he had built up. 

 

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” Loki suddenly asked, something deeper echoing in his voice than before. 

 

“Why should I be afraid of you?” Harry asked, surprised, before shaking his head. “No, I Can never be afraid of you. Afraid for you, but I can never be afraid of you.” 

 

“Well, you should be!” Loki bit back.

 

 “Why?” 

 

“Because I'm a monster!” Loki gritted out between clenched teeth. The air in the room had dropped probably a couple of degrees, and a few white puffs emitted at each breath Loki took. 

 

Loki's now blood-red eyes stared down at Harry, and he could not hold back the desire that shot through him as he saw them. This was not the pale blue of the mind control. This was something more feral, wilder. The power and madness they held made Harry's skin crawl. 

 

Harry had no idea what to do or say to make him understand or what could calm him down. But he could feel how his chest swelled with unspoken emotions. The raw need to protect what was his, even if it was from himself. There were no words he could say that would change Loki's mind, not right now. But they didn't need words now, did they? 

 

Harry took a slow breath, gathered everything he could glean from his emotions and

Harald's, and began to push them over their connection. A low hiss from Loki was a clear sign that it worked. And if that wasn't proof enough, his dilated pupils that made his eyes turn almost entirely black proved it. Loki closed his eyes in an attempt to rile in his emotions. 

 

‘You are not a monster’, Harry whispered over the link and slowly retched out, letting Loki decide to stay or back away, but it felt like a win as he held his place. 

 

Loki's skin was ice cold to his touch. A spark of magic travelled over Harry’s arm as he slowly drew his broken half closer to himself, grounding him. He was not letting Loki's low growl scare him away because he could feel the raw need underneath it all. 

 

Harry was still unsure what the hell had happened, but it felt right as his arms came up around the shaking form in front of him. —ignoring the coldness against his skin. Loki slowly reached out and ran his finger ever so carefully over Harry's soul mark, like it was a lifeline or something.

 

 Suddenly, without any warning, Loki crashed his mouth onto his, making Harry lose the little thought process he currently had as Loki tilted his body to where he wanted him. The kiss was nowhere near gentle. No, it was the raw need and want to feel the other.

 

 Harry opened his mouth and let Loki take over the kiss, and he felt his head start to spin slightly from the oxygen deprivation, but neither wanted to be the first to break the connection. Loki manoeuvred him with skilled hands while Harry struggled even to remember how to breathe against the force of his assault. 

 

He was like a starved man that hadn't seen food for a long time. Loki's lips were bruising his with such a powerful need that Harry could do nothing but grip the back of Loki's slender neck to stabilise himself. His hands were on either side of Loki's head, and his fingers dug into his hair, keeping him interlocked within the kiss. Loki growled into his mouth, the sound resonating through Harry’s body as Loki walked him back to the counter’s edge.

 

 Harry briefly felt the sturdy surface behind him before Loki lifted him onto the ledge like he weighed nothing. Harry's legs were placed on either side of Loki’s body so that he was stuck between them, not letting go of the kiss as they switched positions. 

 

Harry was desperate for the warmth the other could give him. Ironic as Loki was cold to his touch, yet his mouth was so warm. Harry could not stop himself from dragging his nails down Loki's scalp and neck, earning a noise combining a hiss and a moan, and Harry grinned into the kiss. 

 

That was precisely the sweet sound that Harry wanted to hear more of. He fisted a handful of black hair and almost forcefully tilted Loki's head so that he would be in a more dominant position. Making the other man moan softly, the vibration sent hot lightning bolts straight to Harry's groan as he held Loki closer.

 

 The thrill of Loki’s small submission underneath him made him crave more as he was a head taller as he sat on the counter. Harry could feel Loki's hands roaming over his back, playing with his hair that had come loose and grasping at his waist.

 

 Harry could feel the trembling of Loki's hands like he had no idea what he was going to do with them, and at the same time, he could feel the content feeling sip through the soul bond. He broke the kiss, gaining a low whimper in protest from his partner, but it didn't last for too long as Loki started to kiss his neck, putting both of their thoughts into words as he did.

 

 "Perhaps," a kiss, "we should," a nibble that drew a gasp, "move to a more comfortable setting?" 

 

Harry hummed as he felt Loki melt into his arms and let his forehead rest against Loki’s. “I don’t think that is a good idea”, Harry chuckled low, happy that Loki had calmed down and was acting more grounded. “Not right now, at least, or I will probably blow up this whole building with how much technology it is here.” 

 

Loki sighed and pulled back slightly, only to look down at him with a resided eyebrow in question. 

 

Harry huffed. “Don’t look at me like that. “

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like that.” Harry gave him an unimpressed look as he poked his brows, making Loki capture his hand only to kiss the inside of his hand.

 

 “Why?” Loki nibbed on the flesh with his long canine.

 

“Because it is all new to me, and I have a problem controlling my magic at the moment, or whatever this all is,” Harry grumbled as he looked away.

 

 “You? Having a problem with magic?” Loki’s brow furrowed now in worry. “Is something wrong?” 

 

Harry could not help the squeezing feeling that came over his heart. How could he have been so lucky to get Loki? He still had a problem accepting it all, as it felt like he was cheating with all Harald’s memories and his feelings sipping through, and Harry had to admit he was still scared to cease to be him. To be Harry Potter. But that train had sailed long ago. 

 

This was his mate, his partner, and his everything. Whatever was in their future, they would have each other from this day forward. Harry wanted to hold him close and never let go. He wanted to cherish every inch of him. He could feel the need to connect and slip through the bond. They had been separated for too long, unbalanced, and now they needed this when they were within each other's reach.

 

 “No, not that kind of problem. It’s more like I’m still adjusting to it, that’s all”, Harry sighed.

 

“Is the magic causing you problems?” Loki frowned, and Harry chuckled and shook his head. “Not all the time, but if we do anything more than Kissing, then I might blow out the electricity in this tower, and we don’t want that.” 

 

Loki pouted, and Harry didn’t need to hear or feel anything, but he instantly knew that Loki didn’t care about that. He was troubled that for sure, and the words that came out of him only solidified that statement.

 

 “All right, then let’s blow it up,” Loki said and poked Harry’s side, making him squish away.

 

 Harry squirmed away, “No, Loki! Stop it!“

 

 “Yes, Loki!” the black-haired grinned.

 

Harry chuckled as he slapped the other man’s hand away. He did want to get himself reacquainted with his lover's body but now was not the time.

 

 “I'm sorry to interrupt, gentlemen, but I have a message for Mr Odinson. Your brother wishes to speak with you and is on his way.”

 

 Loki gave away an annoying sound. “For Mimer’s sake! why?” 

 

Harry could only agree as they had been interrupted yet again. “Oh wow, cock-blocked yet again by the magic building”, Harry chuckled. “How horrible.”

 

 “Do mind the next word that will come out of your mouth, or I will silence you in a much different way”, Loki groaned as he tried to find the energy to even care. 

 

“Is that a challenge?” Harry asked.

 

 “A promise, now hush," Loki said as he sat on the couch. At least he was not running away.

 

 “Are you going to talk to him?” Harry asked.

 

 “Who?” Loki looked down at his nails like they suddenly became the most interesting thing in the room, as he was not allowed to poke at him anymore. 

 

Both knew he was deflecting the core problem, but neither felt safe enough to talk it out. And he was not the best one to lecture another for bottling up his emotion and deflecting. They had time later, and Harry would ensure that, but Loki had another overdue conversation he probably needed to have. The question was whether Thor would improve the already fragile situation or make it worse. 

 

Harry looked at him before sighing softly. “Don’t do that, “ Harry said. 

 

“Why not? He is obnoxious, and talking to him is like talking to a deaf person. No, sorry, that was an insult to deaf people. He is worse, like a big yellow dog that wags his tail and barks at squirrels.” 

 

“And you are acting like a cat that got his fur ruffled." Harry snorted. “Just speak with him, he might surprise you,” Harry said, pulling his hair away from his face, “we will probably need his help when we see the All-father. Because if that dickhead will not pull his head out of his arse, I will try to make the Ragnarök happen only to spite him.” 

 

A genuine smile tugged on Loki’s lips. As he chuckled, “that bad?” 

 

Harry nodded and waved his hand in the air. “That bad!” He echoed, “because let me tell you this. My memories are still in a mess, but one thing that I know is that no one fucks with what’s mine.”

 

 Harald’s part of his soul or not, if he were going to lose himself anyway, he could do his best to enjoy what chaos he could release on those who deserved it, like the people of Asgard. “So, talk to him. I have a feeling that he won't accept a no, not after finding you alive,” Harry said.

 

 "When does he ever that big oaf," Loki muttered. 

 

Harry looked at him and padded his arm. “You got this, and I will go and talk to our host. The sooner you get it done, the sooner we can find time to ourselves," Harry grinned. “And don’t kill each other.” 

 

“No promises there," Loki sighed.

 

 Harry patted his shoulder before he felt Thor was near and started walking to the elevator. The door opened, and Thor walked out with long strides and grinned as he saw Harry.

 

 “Harry! Good morning. Did you already break the fast? I beg for forgiveness that I wasn’t here with you. Did you try these delicious sweet pastries they call Pop tarts? They were amazing!” Thor said in his booming voice.

 

 “Good morning, Thor. I’m on my way out,” Harry said as he ducked around the more prominent male and smiled. “Loki is all yours”, he smiled.

 

 “Good! That’s good.” Thor grinned as he turned around. 

 

“Oh, And Thor?” Harry suddenly said, stopping the larger male who looked at him questionably now. 

 

“Be gentle with him. He is still not completely stable. Don’t push him too much, all right?” 

 

“Don’t worry, my friend. I will not harm my brother, never again. You have my word,” Thor said in a low voice as he held his arm over his chest. His eyes met Harry’s. 

 

Harry had seen the same look in other's eyes as they had made up their mind before going out on a mission in the war. It was full of determination and confidence in their resolve. Harry nodded as he turned around. “Good, or else I will hunt you down and drag you to Helheim myself.”

 

 “And I would accept whatever punishment you would give me,” Thor smiled as he walked to have a long overdue talk with his brother.

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