It's supposed to be a comforting gesture, and Sylvie isn't an idiot, she knows that; but the reaction it gets instead is one of pain lancing through her chest as if it was her own heart that their hands lay over instead of his. He doesn't trust her. Not that he should.

It's instinctual, the way she tries to pull away from him, stepping backwards into the room just to get her hand free of his. Behind her He Who Remains is explaining, explaining things that sound just as false to her ears as it had that day. His voice though this time flickers, whispers of doubt behind them --Is it. Is it really?-- about the temp pad, about the things that the TVA didn't know.

"That little look by the lake." The specter says, and instead of looking at the Loki in the chair, the man looks directly at the one in the doorway, his smile lingering long and dangerous.