Two Blades, One Dagger

Loki blinked the sleep from his eyes, and he sat up. His bloodied tunic and cape had been removed and were in a pile at his side. He ran his fingers down where the bloody gash had been, and he found that it was entirely healed. As a sorcerer, he couldn't fathom the kind of energy it took to heal such a wound.

Sylvie laid beside him, and he could hear her soft breathing against the cold stone floor. He leaned over and lightly brushed her cheek. She opened her eyes, propping herself up on one arm so that she could look Loki in the face. She looked absolutely exhausted; her face was pale and her eyes were only half open. Despite her ragged state, she managed to smirk at Loki. "You really had to make that hard for me, didn't you?" she chuckled.

Loki furrowed his eyebrows. He still wasn't sure how she was even alive. Heck, maybe they were both dead.

Sylvie continued on, "I've been trying to kill Kang for, oh, hell if I know how long. You provided the perfect distraction to catch him off guard. When he teleported me up here, I created an illusion of myself, and that is what he killed. Then, he was too busy fighting you to stop and check to see if I was really dead. From there I was able to sneak up behind him and slit his throat. If you hadn't nearly gotten yourself killed, the plan would've been flawless."

Loki laughed. "Sylvie, I think we need to clarify the difference between slitting one's throat and beheading them entirely."

Sylvie rolled her eyes. "His throat was slit," she scoffed. "Thoroughly."

Loki glanced once again at his side where the gash had been. He ran his fingers across the smooth skin where there should've been a scar. Sylvie had obviously used up the last of her magic and energy to heal him, and she had done so immaculately. He wanted to question how she did it. Or why. Instead, he just met her gaze and smiled. "Thank you," he said, giving Sylvie a nod. 

"I couldn't very well just let you die," she replied, "or I guess I could've, but-" She broke eye contact with Loki and stared off into space. 

But what? Loki wanted to ask. But I love you! A voice screamed in the back of his mind. However, he pushed the thought aside and was suddenly ashamed of himself. She had seen him fall apart when he thought she was dead. He had cried. He'd let his guard down. He was weak. If anything, she probably thought he was an immature, pathetic excuse for a god. 

Sylvie looked back into Loki's eyes, and Loki could tell something in her expression had changed, but he couldn't put his finger on what. "Remember last time we were here?" she asked. Loki nodded. "All I wanted was to plunge my blade through the heart of the man who had ruined my life. I thought that maybe it would compensate for all of the lost years and the life the TVA had stolen from me. You stood between me and my goal, so I cast you away. I didn't even think twice. However, once I killed He Who Remains, I didn't feel any different. If anything, I felt worse than I ever had before. Killing that man didn't change my past; it didn't change who I was. Despite everything, I was still completely and entirely alone." Sylvie stopped talking, and she reached out and gently touched Loki's cheek. Quickly, she drew her hand back, and her cheeks grew rosy red. "Sorry," she muttered. "It's just- there was a very short time in my life where I didn't feel entirely alone, and that was when you were with me. I- um- you made me feel something. I don't quite know what to call it, but for once in my life something felt real. Then, I threw you away like you were nothing." 

Loki reached forward and took Sylvie's hand in his. She awkwardly intertwined her fingers with his, and the corner of her mouth twitched upwards into a smirk. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and Loki's heart fluttered. "Bear with me," she laughed nervously. "This is new. I- well- uh," she stammered for a moment, suddenly flustered. Loki listened intently as she tried to find her words. "Why did you come back for me, Loki?!" she asked, her tone suddenly harsh. "And don't try to feed me some 'to save the universe' bullshit! I know neither of us aren't that noble. Why the hell would you come back here after everything that's happened to you? After everything I've done to hurt you? You should know by now that I'm not worth saving."