The Tear of Celeste

Chapter 63: Where to Next?

Loki said that if you want to get off-world without being detected you would need to steal a spaceship, so you went to one of S.H.I.E.L.D.s facilities.

Everything was going smoothly until you got to the hangar.

Loki stopped up and quickly pulled you behind him in a protective way. You peek around his elbow to see who is trying to stop you.

Director Fury is standing in front of you, in a casual stance, hand in the pockets of his oversized black coat. He and Loki seem to be looking at each other intensely, trying to read the other person. The silence is deafening.

Then Fury just shrugs, fishing out a set of keys from his pocket and clicking on a little remote on it, and you hear a beeping sound like the one when you unlock an electric car. Except this was not a key to a car.

It was the key to a futuristic-looking jet.

Loki looks at the jet with big eyes before looking back at Fury, catching the keys with one hand when Fury throws them at him.

"Thought you might want one of the nicer rides," Fury said, looking at the jet. "It's based on the technology your dad and brother gave us, so you should probably know how to fly it."

Loki looked at the keys, his posture relaxing as he let you move around him again. "... You are giving us a spaceship?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the director.

Fury just shrugged. "No, but if that one suddenly goes missing I didn't see anything," he said as he started walking off.

"... There is a tracker in it, isn't there?" Loki asked, looking after Fury with a slight mistrust. "Of course there is, they all have it, but that one is so new that only I have the tracking info, and wouldn't you know it, I'm due for a vacation." Fury paused by the door, looking over at the two of you. "Think we all are."

You smile warmly at him. "Thank you, Fury." He gives a short nod before leaving.

Loki throws the keys into the air before catching them again and giving you a grin. "So my Shooting Star, where to next?"

༺☆༻

You are sitting in a cafe, by the window giving you the most gorgeous view of the starlit sky in one of the most beautiful places in the galaxy, a sight truly breathtaking. And yet you give out a long sigh as you watch it.

You have been traveling with Loki for a while now, and you have seen so many incredible things, experienced so many wonders, and had great fun wandering the galaxy. But these last few days you have been feeling something you never had before, a kind of aching in your chest you can't explain.

"Great view." You hear an older man say, looking up to find what looks like another human, but out here you never know. "Yes, it is," you tell the man with a half smile, trying to be polite.

"Hmmm," he says as his eyebrow frowns over his heavy sunglasses. "I recognize that look in your eyes," he said seriously, gesturing to the chair across from you. "May I?"

"Oh, I'm waiting for my partner... Wait what look?" You blink, looking at the man surprised, your own eyebrows raising to your hairline.

He grins at you and sits in the chair anyway, giving you a smirk. "Let me guess, you are out traveling? Vacation or exploring?" He asks, having a drink in his hand that he takes a sip of.

"Um." You frown, moving in your chair to better face him. "Both I guess?" You look over your shoulder to try and spot Loki. "But you have not been enjoying it as much lately have you?" His words pull your gaze back to him.

"How did you know?" You asked, placing a hand on your cheek, was it that obvious in your eyes?

"I'm a bit of a traveler myself," he tells you with a grin. "Been all over the universe, sometimes even beyond," he tells you with a laugh. "So I get the feeling you have right now."

"What feeling?" You ask with a frown, crossing your arms protectively over your chest as you look at him.

He looks at you surprised, and then chuckles, taking another sip of his drink. "My dear, you are homesick."

You pause at that, looking at him shocked.... Ah... So that is what this feeling is, this yearning. You place a hand over your heart and frown. You realize now that you had an echo of this feeling before, the one that always made you move back when you were in another multiverse, always searching, but not understanding what it was.

And now that you knew what it was like to have it, it hurt so much more to be away from it. "...I'm with the person I love, I'm always home by his side," you say, knowing that it's true.... But you also feel like it's a lie.

"That is true," the man said, nodding to himself, "being with the person you love is truly being home... But is he the only loved one you have?" He asks with a head tilt.

You frown slightly, thinking about that as you look out the window. You think of your friends back on earth. You still keep in contact via messages, but they are far between, both because of distance and because you needed space.

You think of Wanda and Vision, wondering if the couple was still as adorable as before. You think about Clint and Pietro and if they ever got around to playing that game of catch they talked about.

You think about Peter and Stephen, imagining them talking about science and magic together. Ever since the episode in the mirror dimension Peter had been intrigued about magic, inviting a few trusted friends over with him to The Sanctum.

You think of Steve, Bucky, Sam... The soldier three and you smile a little. You are wondering what they are up to now. You think of Nat and Bruce, wondering if they have gotten more serious or still taking it slow.

You think about Thor, and you know even though Loki would never admit it, he misses his brother.

And you think about Tony.... The last conversation you had.... And you hug yourself a bit tighter.

"Take it from another traveler," the old guy said with a grin, bringing you back to the conversation, "once you find a place you want to call home, stay." He sipped his drink.

You look down at your hands and give a small smile. "... There's only ever really one place I called home," you admitted. "Then you should go back there," the old man said in a knowledgeable tone.

You look up at him and smile warmly. "You know... I think you are right." You look out at the stars again, giving them a grin. "It's time to go home... Thanks..." You turn back to him with an embarrassed smile while saying: "Sorry I didn't catch your name?" But when you look, the man is gone.

"Darling?" Loki calls out as he walks over to you with drinks in his hands. "Who were you talking to?"

You look at the empty seat... And smile warmly as you get up and walk to Loki's side. "An informant," you told him, taking your drink and kissing his cheek.

"Oh?" Loki said with a grin, putting his arm around you. "And what info did you gather?" You give him a warm smile as you tell him: "Where we are heading next... If that is alright with you?"

Loki kisses your forehead. "As long as we are together my Shooting Star, it's more than alright."