Misfits

On a rather quiet and uneventful day in the house of Odin, the silence was disturbed by quick, cautious intervals of footsteps and an occasional mischievous giggle. Taryn had been terribly bored and somehow managed to sucker Loki into a game of hide and seek. Taryn would often resort to such childish games in boredom. It proved an easy way to pass the time when time would drag on tauntingly.
Thor and Frigga were speaking when the commotion caught their attention. They looked to see Taryn daintily running down the hall. She hopped behind a pillar, and peeked out from behind it cautiously. She spotted Loki walking the other way and began slinking her way out from behind the pillar, keeping her eye on the god. Little did she know, the real Loki was hidden behind the next pillar, watching her creep along silently behind his decoy, with a sly smile on his lips. His decoy disappeared just as she reached it, and he caught her by the waist a split second later. She erupted into a fit of giggles and squeals as he tickled her before spinning her around and pushing her against the wall, stealing an affectionate kiss between laughter of his own. She managed to twist out of his grip and then proceeded to bound down the hall and around the next corner. Loki followed her slowly, giving her time to get ahead and hide again. It was obvious that the pair were unaware of the audience they had. Thor let out a laugh before turning to his mother.
"She is good for him. He may say otherwise, but his affection for her is strong," he said. Frigga gave a soft grin.
"I believe Taryn is what Loki needs to get back on his feet. He is different when he is with her. He is happy," the woman said softly.
"He will not admit he is falling in love, though I can see it on his face," Thor sighed.
"Your brother will one day realize love will not betray him. He will make his decisions with her in mind. Some more crucial than others. He will do many things with her in mind," Frigga explained.
"He will not call me brother. I do not understand his resentment for me," Thor said, looking sadly at his mother.
"Give him time. Such a strong negative emotion cannot exist without there ever having been an equally strong positive emotion. Loki does love you, Thor. He is so upset because he loves you," she said, taking Thor's hand in comfort.
"He tried to have me killed on more than one occasion, Mother," Thor said. "How could that mean he loves me as I love him?" he asked, despair in his voice.
"You know he did not mean it. You must remember, he was not in his right mind. His mind had been warped by his pain. The Tesseract's power over him only made things worse. It still has not let him go completely," Frigga said.
"I fear for them both. Taryn, as well, may be losing control of her own mind. She does not know what is happening, but she told me of her worries for her minds well being," he sighed.
"I did not wish Odin to let secrets be kept again," she muttered, half to herself. At Thor's confused expression, she went on to tell Thor of Taryn's uncertain fate, and the inevitable breaking of her mind. "The Norn went to Odin, first. From there, he informed Ahrima and convinced him to never let Taryn find out the truth in hopes of postponing the day it happened," she concluded.
"What if she were to find out?" Thor said, fearing the answer.
"If Taryn learned the truth now, she could finally break. As much as I do not agree with it, it is vital for her not to find out," Frigga said, tone serious.
"If I heard correctly, her life has had enough lies. Is it really a good idea to keep something so serious from her? I do not think it is wise," Thor questioned, uneasy.
"We have no choice."

"Taryn, I don't believe you should be standing there," Loki said slowly. He had found her, during their game, standing up on the edge of one of the many balconies. She didn't seem to hear him. "Taryn," he called out, a little louder, approaching her cautiously. Worry was etched on his face. The girl suddenly seemed to snap out of some sort of trance. A squeak emitted from her lips once she realized where she was standing, and Loki quickly pulled her down before she could react.
"I didn't do that," she mumbled, looking at the ledge she had been standing on. "I don't remember going up there," she said, looking up at Loki, dark eyes worried. She noticed the same worry finely etched upon his face.
"We are done playing your game," he said quietly, placing a hand on her back and leading her inside. He hated himself more and more each day he didn't tell her the truth. He wanted nothing more than to tell her. She deserved to know. She needed some truth in her life. But she didn't deserve to lose the battle in her mind. Not yet.
"What's wrong with me?" she asked quietly, as they sat in his bed chambers later. He looked at her momentarily before planting a kiss on her forehead.
"There is nothing wrong with you."