Twisted in Ties (Loki x OC)

Chapter 59

"Do you also have a mother?" He questioned. I started to stiffen up a bit too.

"Yes, sort of. Pepper helped raise me as well. She's very kind."

"Have you forgotten our parents?" He asked. Fawn quickly stepped in.

"Varick, these people saved her life. We should be thankful for their graciousness. They have given us a gift. Let's not dwell on relations." I relaxed a bit.

"Yes. I agree."

"Do you have any other siblings?" 

"No. Tony and Pepper are all. I have my friends, though. I'm part of the Avengers. They're the protectors of Earth. I'm also a warrior of Asgard. Odin has trusted me with helping protect the Nine Realms." He said nothing for a moment.

"I see. It seems there are a lot of people who are interested in you." 

"That's...not the word I would use, but I guess so." I was quickly becoming uncomfortable.

"Well, the food is done, so let's eat. We'll talk about this some other time." Fawn seemed to want to dodge the subject altogether. Something was off and I didn't like it. I knew that it was probably weird to hear about my other family, but I didn't expect them to be this...off-put by it. I need to be careful. I shouldn't give too much away. I still don't know for sure what their intentions are.

Fawn's POV

After dinner, I saw Varick head off. He said that he had some things to attend to, but I knew where he was going. I needed to talk to him. I turned to Izetta after her left. 

"Why don't you go get some rest? We'll be back shortly-"

"I want the truth." I paused. "Why is he so upset about my other family? They saved me. I don't want him to feel like he's not family. I care about both of you, even if it hasn't been that long. I remember us, but I can't give up the part of myself that made me who I am. They're family too." I frowned.

"I'm sorry about his reactions. He's just...things have been hard for us too. It's been so long. We want to be happy and be a family again, but Varick's ideas can be...specified, sometimes. He loses control against his own will. It can get him into rough situations, even if he means well."

"...Is that how he got his scars?" I sighed as she asked that.

"You really don't remember." 

"Wait, I was there for it?" I frowned.

"Those scars...were from the day we tried to save you. Varick had to use his fire side to fight the Frost Giants. However, in his desperation to save you, he overused that ability. His powers started to truly set him ablaze. He almost burned alive. That attack is why we lost you. It freed you, but it set off your power and that's what transported you to Earth. Varick...blames himself for losing you. Which is why he's taken it upon himself to keep us together. He wishes to fix something that he feels he let fall apart."

"I...I didn't think of it that way," She muttered. "But then why would he be upset with other people trying to help me?"

"I think he's jealous that others helped you where he failed, but I'm not sure. So much changed. We both thought we'd have different lives. Sometimes, Varick can be both complex and yet so simple at the same time. I'm going to talk to him. But please trust me when I say that we don't want to hurt anyone. We'll talk about this more later. I need to make sure he's alright." I gave her a hug before turning into my hybrid form. "Get some rest, okay? It's going to be fine." She relaxed.

"I trust you, Fawn. It's a good thing he has you to balance him out." I chuckled.

"Everyone I have ever met tells me that aside from Varick himself." We both chuckled together. "Goodnight, little sister." She gave me a smile.

"See you in the morning." 

I headed off to my brother's fire peak. He had a few different peaks he went to for different reasons. I wasn't surprised when I saw him breathing fire at the rocks. Steam came out of his nostrils as he paced back and forth, still cooling down from the burst.

"Varick," He paused, looking up. "please, enough of this. You need to calm down." 

"But how!? We're family! She doesn't remember Mother!? Or Father!? His sacrifice!? How can she just call a mortal her father!? It doesn't make sense! It's not like he's done what we have! What did he sacrifice for her!?"

"Varick!" I shouted, cupping his face. He began to calm down. I saw the distress in his eyes. He was scared. He felt replaced and unimportant, but I knew that wasn't true. "It's going to be okay. We were never replaced. She loves us, Brother. It's alright. We're family and she knows that. You don't have to reject every other part of her life."

"But how can we trust them? You've seen how mortals are. They're...they're greedy and selfish. All other races are so filled with darkness! I've seen it! And the Asgardians are just as bad as Midgard! They are high and mighty and they believe themselves all-powerful, but we know they aren't! After all, their world is doomed to fall to-"

"That is something we don't know is true, Varick."

"But it's prophesized! I just-" He stopped, sighing heavily. "It's...we're...aren't we enough?" I hugged him. 

"Brother, it's not a matter of being enough. It's a matter of what she needs."

"But what about us? Our promise? We-"

"We?" I asked. He frowned.

"...I promised her, Fawn."

"I know you miss Mother as much as I do, Varick, but she wouldn't want us to quarrel. She would want us to live as who we are. Who we're supposed to be." He looked away.

"...She's supposed to be with us. We are her true family. We're happy here. I want to show her just how special our home is. I want her to understand." I frowned.

"You can't force her to see the universe as you do."

"I don't want to force her to do anything, I-" He stopped again. "...I'm going to show her that she can be happy this way. I won't let Mom down. I refuse to let her down." I frowned.

"Varick, I-"

"Will you help me?" I felt my heart twist. 

"I...I want her to stay too, but-"

"Please, Fawn. I know you understand this. I just want our wish to come true." I couldn't deny that I wanted it as bad as he did, but I was afraid of what he was willing to do to make it come true. 

"I...I'll try." He smiled.

"Thank you, sister." I smiled back.

"I'll do what I can to find the common ground. I want us all to be happy too." He hugged me for a long time. I looked up at the stars. I'm trying, Mother, but what do I do? I...I need you. I don't know what I should do to fix this.