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Astrid sunk down lower in the red armchair in her room. Slowly, methodically, she rotated the small prescription bottle in her hand. She had always had trouble sleeping, but now…it had only gotten worse as her depression ran her into the ground.
Too much. It is all too much. Astrid twisted off the top of the prescription bottle, gazing in at the little white pills inside. Too much… She replaced the lid of the bottle. “Maybe…it is better this way…” She said to herself softly.
Astrid lifted herself from the armchair and made her way into the joined bathroom. She placed the pill bottle on the sink before stripping and filling the tub with lukewarm water and a pinch of lavender bath salts. Grabbing the pill bottle, Astrid sank down into the fragrant bath. She leveled her gaze at the swirling water around her exposed knees, lost deeply in thought.
Ever since she could remember, she had felt alone. No true friends, no significant other, no one to really love besides her mother and little sister. But even then they had their own lives far from her. Since her father left in the dead of night when she was five, her psyche had begun to deteriorate. It was all coming to a head now. Since starting work at Stark Tower as an intern for Dr. Banner, her depression had only gotten worse. It wasn’t like she was anti-social, it was just that her anxiety would get the better of her whenever she would meet someone new.
Natasha, Steve, Clint, Tony, Thor, Bruce. They were all great, but Astrid couldn’t really call them friends. They had their own lives as the Avengers; lives that could not involve her. Only Loki really made time for her, but even those moments, however much she cherished them, were little and far between as he was kept to the confines of his room nearly all hours of the day. Even now, as she lay in her bath, contemplating her next move, the rest of Stark Tower were at a Gala, held by Tony in a display of influence and well-wishes. She had been invited, mostly out of obligation it felt to her, but she never liked parties too much anyway. Too many people, too much noise. It only made her anxiety worse.
“Here’s to me…” Without another thought, Astrid downed the last half of her prescription, depositing the empty bottle onto the floor. Closing her eyes, she lowered her entire body into the bath, waiting for eternal darkness to envelop her.
Loki gently knocked on the door to Astrid’s room. “Astrid? I wished to inquire about a book. I’ve finished the last one you lent me and wished to borrow another.” He waited for a response, but none came. “Astrid? Are you there?” he knocked once more, but was still met with no response. Sucking in a breath, he reached out and turned the doorknob, giving himself entrance into Astrid’s room.
“Hello? Astrid?” He looked around the room, but found no sign of you. His gaze shifted to the bathroom, noting the light shining below the closed door. “Astrid? Are you in there?” He strode over to the door and knocked. When he was met with, yet again, no response, he opened that door, his eyes immediately falling over your unconscious body. He called out your name, rushing over to the edge of the tub.
His fingers curled around the empty prescription bottle, noting what it was before throwing it across the room. Quickly, he raised your body from the water, ignoring the liquid that sloshed to the floor around him and soaked his shirt and pants. Loki ran his hand across Astrid’s body, starting at her brow and working his way south. His green seidr enveloped her body, seeping into her pores to eliminate the toxins from the prescription. “Please, don’t let me be too late.” His voice shook as he wrapped her in a towel and cradled her body to his chest, rocking her back and forth.
Astrid awoke to a soft touch, like a feather caressing her hair. Slowly, she opened her eyes halfway, remaining motionless as her body readjusted from its grogginess. She soon became aware to a soft voice above her, as well as the strong pale arms holding her close. It didn’t take her long to realize that the voice belonged to Loki.
“Please, please, come back to me, my little falling star.” He placed another string of kisses to her golden hair. “We need you here…I need you here. You have so much left to give to everyone here, so much about you that can’t be replaced. Your smile when the doctor makes a reference you understand. Your laugh when that oaf of a brother of mine lifts you in an embrace. How your azure eyes light up when you make a new research find.” His breath hitched for a moment before he continued speaking.
“There is so much left in this world for you. Please, do not leave it now. We…I wouldn’t be able to stand it here without you. You are brilliant in so many ways…and that is why I love you. I love you more than words can express, and I’m so sorry that it took me this long to see it. Please, come back to me. Tell me that I wasn’t too late.”
He reached a hand around to cradle Astrid’s head closer to him before placing more kisses against her lavender-scented hair. “Please, please, please, please,” he kept repeating as he rocked you. With sluggish movements, Astrid raised her hand to grip the fabric of his shirt. Loki’s pleas stopped as he gently moved to look down upon her.
“I’m here…Loki…” Her voice was barely a whisper, scratchy as it escaped her throat. Loki’s face softened as his eyes met with her own. “I’m so thankful...that I wasn’t too late.” Lowering his head, he placed a kiss upon her brow. “Ummm….Loki?” Astrid’s voice was low. “What is it, star?” A strong rosy blush spread across her cheeks. As if noticing what she was thinking, Loki stood, making his way to her main room. “Get dressed, and after we can talk about that last book you let me borrow.” He grinned at her. “I’m dying to see what happens to those three children and that magic school of theirs.”