Chapter 1: A Joyous Celebration
Chapter Text
A long time ago, in the forest just outside Asgard
“Loki!” You called out as you broke into a sprint. The two young gods were already ahead of you. You raced through the trees, heart pounding as you desperately tried to catch up with them. ' Stupid Thor, stupid Loki,’ you internally grumbled as you regretted ever agreeing to race with them in the first place.
A sweet summer breeze blew your hair out of your face as you ran, and the grass brushed against you, leaving a ghostly tickling feeling with every movement of your little legs. Sunlight streamed through the pine trees, casting golden rays onto the forest floor.
“Ha! I won!” Thor yelled as he skidded to a halt by the tree with an X carved into it.
Loki caught up with him moments later, breathing heavily from sprinting so fast. “No fair! You win every single time,” he whined.
“No, I don’t! You won like last week!”
You slowed your pace to a jog as you approached the quarreling brothers. “Thor won,” you agreed breathlessly.
Loki looked at you, an over-dramatic look of betrayal on his face. “How dare you, Y/N! You are no longer my friend!” He pouted, crossing his arms and turning away from you.
You merely laughed and grabbed him for a hug. “We all know you wouldn’t last five minutes without me.”
Thor smiled as Loki’s initial disgust slowly faded.
Before another word was spoken by any of you, a distant voice called out for the brothers.
Loki quickly pulled away from you. “Sorry, Mother needs us,” he said quietly.
“Perhaps Asgard needs saving!” Thor exclaimed, picking up a stick and brandishing it as a sword. He pretended to swat at imaginary enemies while you and Loki exchanged a look.
You giggled at his antics. “Perhaps it does. You guys better go, I’ll catch up with you later!”
“Bye, Y/N!” Thor said cheerfully. His stick hit the forest floor with a thud.
“Bye, Y/N,” Loki said more quietly than his brother. His eyes lingered on yours for just a moment before he turned to follow Thor.
You smiled to yourself before picking up the stick Thor had abandoned. You swung it like he did as you walked back toward the tree with an X. You gently put the stick down at the base, hoping to pick it up again tomorrow. Perhaps you would pretend to fight the Frost Giants of Jotunheim or the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim or maybe you could even convince Thor to let Loki win a race. Whatever it was, you knew that it would be waiting for you the next day. The thought made you grin.
You walked back homewards, a sweet glow clouding your heart from the adrenaline of playing. Your thoughts wandered away from the forest and to whatever your mother was making for dinner.
Jotunheim, Present Day
The never-ending chill felt even more brutal that morning as you awoke from your pleasant dream of childhood fun. You rolled over in your bunk, searching the faces of your cabin mates for anyone else who was awake. Today was the day you were to all be pulled out of Jotunheim and back to Asgard. It had been a long year of brutal conflict with the Frost Giants, and yesterday it had all come to an end in an epic battle. Other platoons of Einherjar had been leaving at intervals throughout the night, and now it was nearly your turn to return home.
Home . The thought made your heart quiver. It had been so long since you had seen your family, as well as your friends. You imagined what a reunion with Thor and Loki would be like. Almost certainly there would be bone-crushing hugs from Thor. As for Loki, you were not sure how he would react to your return. It had been so long since you’d seen him, and the last time that you had he was cold and distant to you. You truly hoped he was over that now. You missed him greatly. You had so many things that you needed to say to him that you hadn’t gotten the chance to say before you were sent to Jotunheim.
A sharp voice interrupted your thoughts. “Soldiers! On your feet!” Tyr, the Einherjar commander called.
You heaved yourself out of bed and shivered. Your breath hovered in front of you as you sat on the edge of your bed and took a deep breath. In the next few moments, you pulled your armor and helmet on and gathered your heavy shield and spear. You followed the other soldiers into a square formation outside the tent and prepared for the Bifrost to take you home.
Before you could take a look back at the icy battlefields of Jotunheim, the rainbow bridge enveloped you in a warm wind and whisked you along with your fellow soldiers all the way back to Asgard.
“Heimdall!” Tyr smiled upon everyone’s arrival.
Heimdall smiled as he closed the Bifrost, and stepped down from his podium. He clapped Tyr on the back. “Tyr, my friend, so good to see you again.”
“You as well. Have they prepared a feast for us?”
“They certainly have. Asgard has been anticipating your return. Go, revel in your celebrations. All of you,” Heimdall said cheerfully as he scanned the crowd of warriors before him.
Tyr laughed a booming laugh. “You heard the man!”
You smiled as the warriors all dispersed and headed down the rainbow bridge towards the palace. Everyone was chatting in small groups, recounting their stories. A giddy excitement filled the air.
As you walked, you looked up at the palace with its towering gold figure. You couldn’t believe you were seeing it once again. Compared to the cold fields of Jotunheim, this place felt like Valhalla to you. People cheered as you and your comrades neared the palace. The streets were alive with the cheers and whistles of Asgard’s people. They were just as excited as you were that you had all returned home safely.
You were happy to see the people, but you really wanted to get to Thor and Loki. As quickly as you could, you made your way through the halls of the palace. It was pretty easy to find the feast hall. Partially because you had been there many times before, but also because it was the noisiest part of the palace tonight. You could already hear Thor and Volstagg’s laughter.
You turned down the main hallway and found yourself in one of the archways into the feast hall.
“Thor!” You beamed as you laid eyes on the son of Odin.
“Y/N!” He said just as excitedly. He got up from his table and ran to you, taking you up in a bone-crushing hug. “Thank the Allfathers you are still alive! Has it really been a year already?”
“I’m afraid it has,” you replied as you pulled away from the hug, a tear pricking at your eye.
Thor pulled away too and looked you over. You hadn’t had a chance to change out of your armor before you arrived, and you looked slightly frostbitten and dirty.
You quickly changed the subject before Thor could comment on it. “Where’s Loki? I’ve missed him dearly.”
“Ha! There isn’t much to miss about him in honesty. But I suppose a year on Jounheim makes the mind do crazy things. He’s over there, with our mother.” Thor pointed to the head of the table where Frigga was sat beside Odin. Loki was pushing at something on his plate, a look of boredom on his face. Clearly not much had changed.
“Thanks. I’ll go speak with him,” you said as you pushed past Thor.
You waved to the Warriors Three as you walked past them, and they all shouted various greetings at you.
You locked eyes with Frigga first, and she kindly smiled at you. Odin, per usual, didn’t really acknowledge you.
“Hey, Loki,” you quietly said as you approached him. He hadn’t seen you walk up. As you spoke, he whirled around.
“Y/N? It’s really you?” He stammered.
You smiled. “Yep, fresh out of Jotunhiem.”
He stood up from his place at the table and glanced you over as if he was seeing a ghost. “I-I can’t believe it’s already been a year,” his voice quivered as he spoke.
Odin cleared his throat. “Perhaps this is a conversation for you two to have outside of the dinner hall.”
You nodded apologetically. “Right, sorry, Allfather. I’ll leave you all to eat, I think that the Warriors Three were looking to speak with me.”
As you turned back towards the others, Loki spoke up. “Wait! I’ll come with you.”
Slightly surprised at this, you exchanged a glance at Frigga. She merely nodded, encouraging you and Loki to leave.
The two of you started walking towards the Warriors Three and Thor, but Loki stopped you before you could approach them.
“Could we talk for a moment?” he asked you quietly.
You looked toward the hallway where he seemed to be angling to go. Then back at the Warriors three and their raucous laughter. A moment alone with Loki was trouble, you could already feel it. But the words left your mouth before your head could think too hard. “Sure.”
You followed him out of the dining hall out into the veranda-esque hallway. The hall overlooked the palace gardens, with their sprawling fruit trees and flower beds. You had missed this sight quite dearly while you were in Jotunhiem, but now that you were gazing upon it once again it didn’t feel quite real.
Loki leaned against the railing next to you. Nobody spoke for a moment. Neither of you were quite sure what to say. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Loki said at last.
“Hm? Oh, yes. I missed it dearly.”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“What was it that you wanted to talk to me about? I can’t help but feel as though there isn’t much to be said between us,” you said, trying to break the ice.
“You’re right, there isn’t. But I wanted the chance to get a moment alone with you before you go get wasted with Thor and his friends,” Loki admitted.
“Aw, did the magnificent son of Odin miss me?” You joked. Loki wasn’t one for sincerity, so you saw no reason to replicate his tone.
Loki turned to look at you. His eyes looked so pretty in the light. “Actually, I did.”
“Really?” You said, confused by his sentiment.
“Yes. I didn’t realize how boring palace life was without you.”
You blushed. “Oh.” A moment passed before you could respond properly. “Well, I’m back now. Hopefully we can get up to some of our old antics again,” You said with a wink, regaining your confidence.
“Perhaps we can.” Loki glanced to the Warriors Three, who had begun a drinking contest. Thor waved at you and Loki, beckoning you to come over. “You should go, it seems my brother needs your attention.”
“Yeah...I probably should. Want to come?”
“Oh, no, it’s alright. Mother and I were having a riveting conversation about soup. Plus, I can’t hold my alcohol as well as Thor can.” Loki sarcastically said.
You laughed. “Well, I’m gonna try my hand at besting him in a drinking competition. It’s been so long, I gotta see if I can still beat him.”
“Good luck with that,” Loki said with a nod. He went back to join the head of the table.
You, however, headed for the Warriors Three.
As you sat down at their table, Thor handed you a large mug of ale. “It’s so good to have you back,” he said.
“Truly! We missed your spirit, Y/N,” Fandral added.
“Aw, thanks, guys. I missed you too,” you beamed. It was so good to be surrounded by friends again.
After you downed the first ale that Thor gave you, he handed you another. And then another. And another. As the alcohol loosened your mind, you regaled the Warriors of your tales of Frost Giants and fighting glorious battles. As the night went on, you drank more and more and found your eyes wandering much more frequently to Loki.
You wished he had come with you. Perhaps you should go over and invite him again? Yes, that’s a good plan, your drunken mind had decided. But as you stood up, the room spun.
“Woah!” Thor exclaimed as you nearly keeled over. He forced you back into your seat. “Had one too many?”
You nodded. Your head hurt, and your vision was swimming. You knew had drunk too much, but you didn’t think it was this bad.
Thor didn’t seem all too concerned, he merely patted you on the back and gone back to talking noisily with Volstagg.
You tried standing up again, this time you succeeded. You set your cup down with a loud clang, drawing the attention of Thor and his friends.
“This!” you exclaimed. “Has been a maaaagnificent feassst! But I am going now.” Your words were slurred heavily.
“So soon?” Hogun asked.
“Yes. Goodnight,” you replied curtly.
As you stepped towards the door, the floor felt like it was moving beneath you. You knew you must’ve looked ridiculous, but all you had to do was make it home. Which happened to be a few miles away.
You swayed and wobbled your way out into the hall, and at that point, your head started to spin again. Your ears were ringing now too.
I don’t feel so good… was your last thought before your vision went dark.
Perhaps you couldn’t hold your alcohol after all.
Chapter 2: A Bed That Isn't Yours
Summary:
You wake up from your wild night of drinking to find yourself in an...interesting situation.
Notes:
- TW// light mentions of throwing up/nausea (nothing graphic, just a few lines where it is offhandedly mentioned)
- Working on a new playlist for this fic! You can find it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hWUwgVE9MuO5tYMhexFzQ?si=3b4c4ae74744462a
- Also follow me on Twitter @king_janthony to see some chapter mood boards and art!
Chapter Text
The chill was inescapable. It was the kind that crawled into your skin and made its home in your bones. No matter how many layers you put on, or how much hot stew you had, or how fast you were running, it never left.
Currently, you were running very fast. Several Frost Giants were in pursuit of you, and you had accidentally dropped your weapon a few yards back. There was no going back for your spear now. At this point, it was going to be a game of evasion.
The largest giant roared as you turned a sharp corner. You managed to find a small crevice to tuck yourself into. As you flattened yourself against the wall, you heard the distant shouts of the giants. Your chest was heaving from the effort of running for your life. You placed your hand on your chest and felt your heartbeat thundering against it. You closed your eyes and breathed deeply, trying to focus in order to make a better plan.
Just as you were about to leave your hiding space, you heard the unmistakable rumbling footsteps of the giants. You tried to squeeze back into the crevice, but it was too late. They had seen you.
One of them rushed forward, grabbed you, and pulled you out. It threw you to the floor, and you hit a chunk of ice at a weird angle when you landed. A sharp pain emanated from your side. Something had broken.
You looked up at the giants circling you, your eyes wide with fear. “Wait! No! No, stop! Please...please. I can’t die here….” You desperately shouted.
“Goodbye, puny Einherjar,” The largest frost giant grumbled as it raised its huge icy blade over its head. It roared and plunged the blade sharply downwards .
You jolted awake with a sharp inhale. Your hands quickly roamed to your chest, searching for an invisible wound. A bead of sweat dripped down your face.
You were breathing hard. “It was just a dream…” you mumbled quietly, hands still on your torso.
You sighed and wiped the sweat off your forehead.
As your breathing slowed to a much more normal rate, you finally got a grip on your surroundings. There were two rather glaring things you noticed.
The first was that your head ached like you’d been hit in the head with a brick. That ale had not been kind to you.
The second was that you were tucked into a bed that wasn’t yours. It was far too big and far too comfortable to be your bed at home. There was also a fireplace next to it that had been lit, fairly recently judging by the small size of the flames. You did not recall owning a fireplace next to a bed like this.
You fully sat up, a task that took a nearly herculean effort considering the comfortableness of the mattress. As you scanned the room, your eyes darted to the armchair by the window. The curtains were drawn, and only the light of the fire illuminated the room.
Loki was curled up in the armchair. He had a book still open in his lap, but he must’ve fallen asleep while reading it as he was out like a light.
Just about a million questions flashed through your hurting head. If he was asleep, then who had lit the fire? What were you doing still in the palace? Why was Loki with you? Where did your armor go? And most importantly, did Thor lose the drinking contest?
“Ugh…” you grumbled. All these stupid thoughts. All you wanted to do was go back to bed or maybe throw up.
You turned over one more time, hoping to just get back to sleep, but Loki had shifted from his uncomfortable position in the chair. You watched as his book slid off his lap and fell to the floor with a thud, causing him to bolt awake.
After the initial shock of being woken up wore off, he stretched. Loki yawned and picked up his book. He gently set it on the table next to the chair and was about to go back to sleep.
And then he noticed you watching him.
“You’re awake,” he remarked. His voice was more gravelly than usual. It sent a shiver down your spine. “Are you feeling alright?”
You nodded. “Yeah. I think so? I don’t know. My head reeaally hurts.”
“Oh. Well, yes, I would expect so.”
“Um, Loki, where...where are we?”
“My quarters.”
“What?!”
“Yeah. You didn’t make it more than ten steps out into the hall after your little drinking contest. Frigga thought it would be best to let you stay here until you woke up.”
“That’s kind of her.”
Loki stood up. “Indeed. Would you like me to fetch you anything?”
“No...I think...ss’okay. You are too kind. You don’t have to fetch me anything. You’re not a dog.” You glanced down at the sheets you were wrapped in. “Do...do you want your bed back?”
“Oh, no, it’s quite alright. I’m fairly certain you wouldn’t make it all the way home.”
“No, no, I don’t want to impose. I’ll be fine.” You pushed the covers off and stood up. As you did, the room began to spin violently. Loki quickly rushed to your side and helped you sit back on the bed before you could hit the ground. His hand grasped yours firmly, making sure you didn’t fall.
“Careful there. I really can’t let you leave in this state.”
“Yeah, yeah, you might be right,” you said quietly, finally admitting defeat.
“No, I am right. You’re hungover, and you need to rest. I insist you stay.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll take the couch then.”
“Your first night back from Jotunhiem shouldn’t be spent sleeping on the couch in a drunken haze!” Loki protested.
“What do you mean? That’s exactly how it should be spent!” You retorted as you tried to get up again. Loki pushed you back down onto the bed.
“I highly disagree. Now, stay . I mean it.”
A wave of nausea washed over you. Loki was correct. You probably couldn’t make it home. “...Fine,” you agreed. “Where are you gonna sleep?”
Loki’s smug expression wavered. He hadn’t thought about that. “The couch, I suppose.”
“What was it that you told me? ‘Your first night back from Jotunhiem shouldn’t be spent sleeping on the couch in a drunken haze?’”
He smiled. “For one, I’m not drunk. Two, I live here. Three, I don’t mind sharing with you.”
“Huh. Okay. Fine then.” You yawned. “Sleep on the couch. See if I care.”
As you settled into the bed, your thoughts shot back to the nightmare you had initially woken up from. Every time you closed your eyes, the images of the Frost Giants pursuing you flashed across your mind. Perhaps if Loki stayed by your side, it wouldn’t return? That was a hopeful thought, but you were tired of getting restless sleep. You wanted the nightmares to end, even if it meant the Prince of Asgard had to sleep next to you. It wasn’t like it was going to be weird or anything, right? It would be just like the sleepovers you used to have with him and Thor when you were kids. At least, that’s what you told yourself. The reality was going to be far from that. You’d come a long way from those days of innocence.
Loki watched as your expression shifted.
“On second thought, perhaps we could share?” you said quietly.
“Had a turn of heart, Lady Y/N?” he said with a smirk.
“Shut up. I’m trying to be nice.”
Loki pulled the covers back, and you shifted over to the other side of the bed. He slid in next to you, and you were suddenly very aware that this bed was not incredibly forgiving in terms of personal space. You sank down so that you were no longer sitting upright.
The two of you laid there staring at the ceiling as stiff as boards. Neither of you wanted to move for fear of ending up closer to the other person.
After a few moments, Loki spoke up. “This is awkward,” He said quietly.
“Yup.”
“I could move to the couch. I don’t mind,” Loki offered.
“No, it’s...it’s fine.” You replied, primarily out of pure stubbornness. You felt guilty for drinking so much and needing Loki to (quite literally) scrape you off the floor. You would be damned if he was going to spend the night sleeping on his own couch. The two of you together were too stubborn for anyone’s good.
Loki looked over at you. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He sighed. “You know, I think you’re even more tenacious than I am. And that’s saying something.”
You laughed. “Maybe I am. It’s a survival skill, I suppose.”
“Must’ve learned it from me.”
“Yeah, I guess I did.”
A beat of silence filled the air. The fire in the fireplace sparked, causing the wood to pop and crackle loudly. You flinched. Loki’s brow furrowed.
He shifted so that he lay on his side, one hand on his chin, his elbow propping him up on the pillow. His other hand gently traced along the creases of the sheets. “What was Jotunhiem like?” He asked you quietly as if the statement were too bold to be said any other way.
You moved to nearly mirror his position. “It was...cold.”
Loki snorted. “I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
“Yeah, well, it’s colder than you could possibly imagine. It sticks with you. Like no matter where you go or what you do, it doesn’t leave.” You found yourself saying these things, but not entirely sure why. Why would it matter if you told Loki about Jotunhiem or not? It wasn’t like he truly cared. Or maybe he did? Ugh, he was confusing.
“That doesn’t sound like a great place to be,” he remarked.
“It wasn’t. And not to mention the actual inhabitants of that wasteland.”
“The Frost Giants?”
You nodded. “They’re so scary, Loki. You have no idea.” You shuddered.
Loki was clinging to your every word. “My father fought them long ago. He’s told us the stories.”
You rolled your eyes. “With all due respect, your father’s fairytales of monsters in far-away places can not possibly compare to the feeling of really fighting them. They’re vicious, barbaric beings. Do you have any idea how many times I thought that I would never make it off that frozen rock?!” Your voice broke. “How many times I thought that I would never see you or Thor or...or Sif or Volstagg or Hogun again?!” Tears began to brim your eyes.
Loki gently reached out and put his hand on your shoulder. You shivered at his touch. “Hey. It’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re home.”
You sniffled, trying so hard to hold back tears. You felt weak. You opened your mouth to say something, anything , to try and salvage this, but you couldn’t without crying.
Without warning, Loki took you into his arms. He held you tightly, and at that moment, nothing else mattered. You sobbed. All the chill, the hurt, the feelings of loneliness leftover from your time on Jotunhiem washed through you.
“Shhhh….It’s alright. It’s going to be okay. I’ve got you,” Loki murmured. He stroked your hair as he spoke, trying to calm you down. His touch made you want to cry harder.
The rest of the night faded from your memory. At some point, you must’ve tired yourself out from crying so hard. It was truly relieving but exhausting.
Loki had not let go of you. As you drifted off into a sea of sleep, you wished that he never would.
The feeling of skin on skin was what truly woke you up. The sun streaming through the circular windows and right onto your pillow also played a part.
The good news was that your head didn’t hurt nearly as much. The bad news (if it could be called that) was that you and Loki were incredibly tangled together. You weren’t quite sure where you began, and he ended. Something rather hard was pressing into your ass. You were still half-asleep and couldn’t quite tell what position you were actually in, so you assumed that it was Loki’s elbow or knee or something.
You nearly drifted back to sleep, but then you felt Loki’s arms close tighter around your torso and his breath on your neck, and your eyes shot open. Loki was nuzzled up against, sleeping very contentedly. Both of his arms were wrapped around you. As you looked down, you found your own hands holding onto his.
“Loki!” You whispered.
He didn’t reply. He just nuzzled closer to you.
“Loki, please wake up!” You whispered again, this time twisting a little bit out of his grasp.
This time, his eyes fluttered awake. Immediately he flinched rather hard, and his arm retreated slightly from its snug position around your waist as if he wasn’t expecting to wake up to this either.. “Oh. Good morning, Lady Y/N,” he mumbled, stretching his arms above his head.
You blushed. The way his voice was much deeper than normal was making you feel a certain way. “Morning, Loki.”
“This is certainly not how I expected this morning to go,” he chuckled.
“Me neither.”
You rolled over so that you were now facing him. Fuck, he was so pretty. He was still so sleepy.
“How’d you sleep?” He murmured as if reading your thoughts.
“I...” No nightmares. No stupid fucking nightmares for the first time in months. “I slept really well,” you grinned.
Loki yawned. “That’s good. You tired yourself out pretty badly.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”
“Why are you apologizing? It’s not necessary.”
“Well then, I’m sorry that I’m sorry.”
Loki rolled his eyes.
You chuckled and sunk back into the comfy bed sheets again. It was so warm and so soft, you never wanted to leave.
A thought crossed your mind. “Loki, do you remember when we were young, and we used to braid Thor’s hair?” you mumbled.
Loki quirked his eyebrow. “I think you mean you used to braid his hair. And yes, I remember.”
You looked up at him with doe eyes. “Can I braid yours?” you asked quietly.
Loki smiled in confusion. “What? Mine?”
“Yes. I’ve always wanted to.”
He subconsciously ran his hands through his hair. “I’m not sure it’s long enough.”
You studied him for a moment. “I’m sure I can manage, it won’t take long, I promise.”
“Alright, fine. As long as you swear not to tell a soul,” he conceded.
You smiled. You shuffled your position so that Loki was now sitting with his back to you. Your fingers began to work quickly from the top of his head down to the nape of his neck, gently weaving his locks into a fine braid.
You hummed as you went, and you could swear that you heard Loki occasionally join in. He leaned his head back to make it easier for you to get the top part braided.
When you had tucked the final strands into place, you placed your hands back into your lap. “There. All finished. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Loki sighed contentedly. “No, not at all. I can see why Thor enjoyed it so much.”
“Do you wanna see it?” You offered.
Loki nodded and got up to go over to the vanity. He studied his reflection in the mirror, slender fingers hovering over your delicate braid work. “Oh, my,” he whispered.
You grinned. “You like it?”
“I love it. It’s...beautiful.”
An idea popped into your head. “Wait, I’ve got something to add.” You shoved yourself off the bed and went over to the bookshelf on the far wall. Small white dried flowers were sitting in a little jar on the shelf. You picked a few stems of them and brought them to Loki. “Here, let me,” you offered.
Loki watched your reflection in the mirror as you gently tucked the tiny flowers into the rivets of his braid. “You bite your lip when you’re focused,” he remarked.
Your hands immediately retreated, and you felt a hot blush creeping across your face.
Loki immediately noticed your reaction and quickly turned to catch your wrist as you pulled away. “No, don’t stop. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.” He pulled you closer. Your breath quickened as his voice lowered. “It’s cute.”
“Loki, I-” you began to say, but as the young god’s face moved closer to yours, all you could look at was his lips.
“Yes?” He said nearly breathlessly.
“I-”
The door opened with a sudden slam. “LOKI!” Thor yelled.
Loki pushed you away, the reality of how close you had been setting in. Loki quickly ran his hands through his hair, pushing the braids undone. The little white flowers fell to the floor and settled in a messy pile.
Your heart ached.
Thor’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Lady Y/N, I didn’t realize you were here. Am I interrupting?”
You looked to Loki, but his expression was cold.
“No, not at all, brother. In fact, she was just leaving. Isn’t that right?” Loki said through gritted teeth.
Your skin burned with shame. “Yes, sorry. I was going.” You gave a short bow to Thor, who nodded in response.
You glanced over at Loki one last time, only to see him step on the flowers. Thor shut the door tightly behind you.
You took a deep breath.
You really wished that had ended differently.
Chapter 3: In A Hurry
Summary:
You leave Loki's room, only to run into a plethora of new problems.
Notes:
You might notice this one is a bit shorter than other chapters, but I promise there's a reason for that! This is part of a multi-chapter update! Happy reading!
Chapter Text
As you began the long walk back home, you took a second. Where exactly was home? You were in an incredibly unfamiliar wing of the palace. On top of that, you weren’t even sure that your parents wanted to see you. You had left on a less-than-ideal note with them. There was a chance that you simply had nowhere to go.
As you rounded the corner, you nearly collided with Lady Sif.
“Oh, sorry!” You said quickly.
“It’s quite alright. You seemed very deep in thought. Is everything okay?” She replied.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine. I’m good.”
“Are you feeling better from last night? You nearly outdrank Thor.”
“Nearly?! Aw man, I wasn’t even close, was I?”
Sif laughed. “You made it pretty far! I’m honestly surprised how long you lasted. Did you make it home okay?”
You hesitated. “Uh...kind of? I am on my way there now, actually.”
“Oh? You’re just now leaving?”
“Yep…” you chuckled awkwardly. Please don’t ask any more questions!
A puzzled look crossed Sif’s face. “Where did you end up staying?”
“...a bench,” you quickly lied. You rubbed your lower back in an attempt to make it seem real. “Hurt real bad, but it was better than trying to make it home.”
“Hm. Interesting wing of the palace for you end up in. We’re quite a ways from the feast hall.”
“HaHA! Great chat, Sif. I’ll see you later. I’ve gotta go!” You said hastily as you pushed your way past her.
“Oh, bye! I’ll see you tonight?”
You stopped. “Tonight? What’s tonight?”
“The ball, of course!” She smiled.
Ah, fuck. Might as well pretend like you knew what was happening. “Ah! Yes, of course! The ball. How could I forget? What uh...what’s it for again?”
“The solstice?”
You nearly smacked your hand to your forehead. “Right. Yep. Well, see you then,” you called as you turned back towards the end of the hall. As fast as you could, you got the hell out of there.
On top of going home and seeing your parents, now you had a ball to worry about.
The walk home was overshadowed by a familiar sense of dread.
The last time you’d seen your parents, your sendoff had been punctuated by harsh words and the kind of things that stuck in the corners of your mind.
“You’ll never belong in the palace, no matter how hard you try and claw your way in there.”
“You’re just a commoner like the rest of us. Stop acting like you’re better than that.”
“Those two princes just tolerate you. You aren’t their friend.”
“I hope you die out there on Jotunhiem, so that way we never have to look at you and your traitorous face again.”
Their words echoed in your head as you approached your home.
Your parents belonged to a particular group of individuals who didn’t have much love in their hearts for the royals. On the other hand, you grew up alongside the princes and had become one of their closest friends. When you had decided to join the Einherjar to get higher up in Asgardian society, your parents disapproved highly.
“What’s wrong with the way we live? Is it not good enough for you?” They had snarled.
Your hand hung hesitantly in the air before you knocked. Maybe this was a bad idea.
Before your hand could make contact with the wood of the door, it flung open. You stepped back in surprise.
It was your younger sister. Her wide eyes looked up at you. “OH! Y/N? You’re back?”
“Um, yeah, I am,” you replied sheepishly. It was strange to see her again after all this time. “Are mom and dad home?”
“Yeah, they are! Should I go get them?” She turned away as if your following words weren’t going to matter, and she was going to run and tell them that you were here.
“Yes, please.”
“Okay! Wait here.” She shut the door and left you alone with your thoughts.
As the seconds passed, you grew more and more anxious. Maybe once your sister went and talked to them, they simply told her that they didn’t want to see you. Perhaps they would shut you out on the doorstep again.
You were just about to give up and go back to the palace when the door opened just a crack.
You saw a sliver of your father’s face through the door.
“Dad? At least open the door,” you sighed.
He glanced you over cautiously. After deciding it was probably safe, he conceded. The door swung open with a creak.
“So, you’re still alive.”
“What were you expecting?”
“To not have to see you again.”
Anger simmered quietly inside of you. “Well, unluckily for you, I’m back. I’ve come to see if I still have a home here or not.”
Your father considered your words. “Traitors don’t belong in the house of Y/L/N.”
You stiffened. “Fine then. I see nothing has changed. May I at least collect my things?”
“What things?”
“My clothes, my books, my general belongings?”
“Oh, we sent those away.
“Away where ?” You said through gritted teeth.
“I don’t remember. It’s been so long.” A devilish smile crept across his face.
You took a deep breath. Tears pricked at the edges of your eyes. “Okay. Fine. Tell Mom I said hi, and that her disgrace of a daughter is still alive. I hope you all sleep well at night knowing just how much I hate you,” You tried to punctuate your words with a stab, but it felt more like a gentle poke since your voice kept breaking.
It wasn’t necessarily true that you hated them. You really, really wanted to hate them. But they were your parents, and after all the shit they put you through, you had really hoped that you could come back to someone different. But alas, things had not changed.
It was time to go with Plan B.
The palace was huge. Sif and the other Warriors Three were lucky enough to have their own rooms on one of the lower floors. There had always been an invitation extended to you for you to come live in one, but you had no reason to take them up on it until now.
You found Frigga in one of the hallways, partially by luck and partially by pure determination. You tried to hold back tears as you explained what had happened, and now you had nowhere to live. Frigga was so easy to talk to. You hadn’t intended on telling her every detail of your slightly traumatic homecoming, but here you were, crying onto her shoulder.
Frigga gave you a kind smile. “I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to arrange some sort of living quarters for you. You are one of Asgard’s finest soldiers. I would be happy to have you here with us.”
You sniffled and profusely thanked her for her generosity.
Your new living space was much better than anything you could’ve pulled together on your own. It had a large bedroom, a joint bathroom with a lovely tub, and a small living room. Everything was different shades of gold. It was perfect. At the moment, it felt a bit impersonal, but you were sure that would change quickly. You had a knack for uniquely taking over any space you were put in.
As you settled down onto your couch, you took a moment to breathe. Things had been pretty much non-stop ever since you returned from Jotunheim. Perhaps you needed a break. A nice hot bath should do the trick. That lovely tub was practically screaming at you to be used.
You began to run a bath for yourself, but you quickly realized there were no towels.
You opened the door to your quarters and poked your head into the hall. A few maids were running back and forth, so you flagged one down and asked her to bring you some.
By the time you got back to the tub, the water was up to temperature and ready for you to get in.
It felt good to wash everything away. You hadn’t exactly gotten a good opportunity to clean yourself up since your return.
As you bathed, your mind wandered back to last night. You didn’t remember too much from the actual feast or many of the following events. It was all sort of...fuzzy, except for the morning. Waking up next to Loki was still very fresh in your mind. That, as well as the look on his face when you left his room. It was unreadable, even with the benefit of hindsight. He had been so cold, so distant when only moments before you two were closer than ever. You really hoped that it wouldn’t be weird between you two at the ball.
The ball.
You had nearly forgotten. How long had you been in the bath? You honestly weren’t sure. Has it already started? What if you were late?!
You hurriedly drained the water and stepped out, the cold air hitting your skin. You were used to the feeling after living on Jotunheim, but it was still uncomfortable nonetheless. You scrambled for a towel, but you forgot that there were none in the bathroom. You frantically searched your room for one, and luckily for you, the maids had delivered some while you were in the bath.
The real question was, what to wear?! Your wardrobe consisted of mostly armor and some simple linen shirts and pants for when you weren’t in battle. You didn’t have many fancy dresses, save for a few tucked away in the furthest corners of your closet. The maids had been kind enough to bring you your belongings (well, what was left of them) while you were in the bath.
You opened the doors to the closet and thumbed through your stuff.
Too metallic. Too casual. Too battle-y. Oh, what’s this?
Your hand hovered over a dress with soft green fabric. It was light and flowy and would be perfect for dramatically twirling around the dance floor. Not that you were much of a dancer, but it was dramatic nonetheless. You pulled it out and inspected it further. It had two straps to keep it on your shoulders, and then instead of sleeves, it had fabric that hung off of your shoulder. The back needed to be laced up like a corset, but the dress itself wasn’t meant to cinch your waist.
It was nearly perfect. Nearly.
It was green. Loki’s green, to be exact.
How would everyone react when you came to the ball dressed in the young prince’s color? It wasn’t like you had anything else to wear, though.
“Fuck,” you sighed. You supposed you would just have to deal with those consequences later.
Right now, the threat of you being late was looming over your head more than anything else. Showing up wearing the prince’s color could potentially be excused, but if you were late, then it would just add insult to injury.
You hurriedly pulled the dress on and fixed your hair. You added a bit of makeup. Nothing too much, but just enough to really make you glow.
As you were about to head out into the hall, you glanced at yourself in the mirror. Compared to the heavy Einherjar armor you had donned for the last week, you looked absolutely stunning.
Green was a good color for you.
Chapter 4: The Solstice
Summary:
A night of dancing takes an interesting turn.
Notes:
!THIS CHAPTER TIES INTO A YOUTUBE VIDEO I MADE!
You can find it here:
18+ Version: https://youtu.be/zzerEjAm6hA
Clean Version: https://youtu.be/xqk7nEtegmA
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Yet again, the banquet hall was alive and sonorous. People from all stations were milling around, sipping wine and chattering over the sound of harmonious music. Everyone was dressed in their finest robes. The room was filled with entirely unfamiliar faces. It had been a while since you’d attended one of these dances.
As you entered the hall through one of the large archways, you gently tapped the shoulder of a woman standing near the wall.
“Pardon me, but have the Allfather and his sons made an appearance yet?” You asked, trying to keep your voice low.
She shook her head. “Not yet. I suspect that they will upon the hour. Things are just getting started here.”
“Thank you.” You moved past her, out into the crowded atrium of the hall. As a servant boy made his way past you carrying a tray of wine glasses, you resisted the urge to take one. Although you desperately wanted to calm your nerves, you didn’t want to end up on the floor again.
Hogun and Fandral caught your eye. They were leaning precariously against one of the pillars, laughing and drinking their hearts out.
You quickly went over to them, desperate to talk to someone you knew.
“Y/N! Good to see you in something other than armor for a change,” Fandral remarked as you approached them.
Hogun mumbled, “Agreed.”
You laughed sheepishly. “Thanks. Green doesn’t look too bad on me?” You did a little twirl for the boys.
Fandral wolf-whistled. “No, not at all.”
Hogun glanced towards the empty throne at the head of the hall, fearing that Odin himself would be standing there. “It looks marvelous on you.”
You grinned. “Why, thank you.”
Sif approached you and the boys, balancing three glasses of wine in her hands. When she laid eyes on you, she nearly dropped them all. “Y/N! What the hell are you wearing?”
Your smile faltered a bit. “A dress,” you replied snarkily.
“Yes, I can see that,” Sif sighed. “The color. It’s a bit of a statement, no? There is only one man in all the nine realms who wears the same shade of green.”
“It was the only thing I had!” You hissed.
The sounds of trumpeting fanfare interrupted your conversation. The chatter in the room quickly died to a whisper as everyone turned towards the front of the room. You caught a glimpse of Sif rolling her eyes at you before your attention was diverted elsewhere.
Odin and Frigga had entered the room arm in arm, but that was quickly abandoned as Frigga took her place a few steps away from Odin. The Allfather spread his arms wide, and all the guests erupted into applause.
Thor and Loki entered a moment later, and they took their places beside the king and queen. Thor looked over at you and the warriors, and you swear that you saw him do a double-take when his gaze landed on you. Despite the unfaltering applause, all you could hear was your own heart pounding against your chest as you waited for Loki to look at you.
Perhaps by fortune, he didn’t look in your direction before the Allfather began to deliver his speech.
Odin’s booming voice encapsulated the hall as he began to recite one of his usual droning speeches. You glanced at Loki, who looked bored out of his fucking mind. You knew he hated these events. You wished that he would be standing with you, making snarky comments about every little thing his father said. But no, instead, he was up there next to Thor, and you could tell that he was just quietly biting his tongue.
Odin continued on about the importance of diplomatic relations, the solstice, something in there about returning warriors, and other kingly matters. You really couldn’t care less.
Another servant walked by with more wine. You looked at the maroon glasses longingly. Perhaps a drink wouldn’t hurt?
Alas, the servant had disappeared into the crowd before you could take a glass.
The atrium erupted into applause again.
You leaned over to Fandral. “Has Odin finally finished his speech?” you whispered.
“Norns, you really weren’t paying attention. Yes, it’s over now. We are supposed to let the festivities and such commence,” he kindly informed you.
You clapped your hands and smiled. “Great! Now, where’s that servant with the wine?” You didn’t wait for an answer from the others before going off to search for something to drink.
People were milling around the outskirts of the grand hall, trying to make room for the dancers in the middle. You never danced at these events. Partially because you didn’t really know how, but also because you were not exactly one to have the entire room watch you pretentiously twirl around. Asgardians were very fine dancers by nature, and you had always felt that you were just not on the same level.
The music had begun to swell. It was a lovely concerto of strings. It sounded very familiar, but you couldn’t place where you had heard it before.
More people had begun to move to the sides of the hall, which made it increasingly difficult to get to the refreshments. The heat from their bodies pressing against yours was making you increasingly uncomfortable.
Someone stepped on the back of your dress, nearly causing you to fall over. You whirled around, ready to punch the culprit partially for their offense but also partly because you really felt like hitting something.
A very familiar face looked back at you. “Lady Y/N! I’m so terribly sorry, I didn’t see you there!” Thor quickly said as he stepped off of your dress.
Your defenses lowered. It was hard to stay mad at Thor. he was like a puppy. “It’s alright, this hall is so crowded. I can’t blame you.” You brushed the dirt off the hem of the dress.
“Well, I still feel sorry.” He glanced down at your dress. “That’s a very lovely color on you,” he remarked.
You grinned. “Thank you. It was all I had, so I’m glad that you like it.”
“Yes, well, it suits you. Have you seen where my brother has gone off to? I can’t find him,” Thor quickly added to cover up the compliments.
You shook your head. “I haven’t seen him since the speech.”
Thor sighed. “Ah, well. No matter.”
The music began to swell again, this time into a joyous tune. It was the kind of song that made your feet involuntarily tap. You scanned the dance floor for any type of way out of this slightly awkward conversation with Thor.
You could feel him staring at you. He stepped closer to you. “Would you like to dance with me, Lady Y/N?” he asked quietly.
You laughed. “Me? Dance? No way. I’m about as graceful as a bilgesnipe.”
Thor chuckled. “I doubt that but suit yourself. I won’t press you. I’m going to see if Hogan and Volstagg have found themselves drunk yet.”
“Okay, have fun with that.”
Before he disappeared into the crowd, he added, “Let me know if you see Loki.”
You nodded. With that, Thor was gone, and you were left to feel the uncomfortableness of people moving in the crowd once again.
You decided that the balcony would be the best solution to these claustrophobic feelings that the swaying crowd induced.
You shoved your way past people, trying to make it to the refuge of cool nighttime air that awaited you.
Crickets chirped quietly from the gardens below the balcony. A few other party-goers had the same idea as you. A couple leaned against the railing, laughing together over some small joke. Another girl was standing hesitantly by the archway back to the banquet hall. She looked poised as if to throw herself into the mix again, but something seemed to be holding her back. You liked watching these other people. They were all in their own little worlds at that moment. Something completely different was going through each of their minds.
As you scanned the balcony for somewhere to stand alone with your thoughts, your eyes settled on a very familiar head of black hair.
Loki was on the far end of the veranda, away from everyone else. He was messing with something in his hands and was staring off into space, a contemplative look on his face.
You approached him tentatively. “Loki?”
He looked over at you and quickly dropped whatever it was he was holding. It fell off the balcony before you could see what it was. “Ah, Lady Y/N.”
“What’re you doing out here?”
Loki sighed and glanced up at the stars. The dusty swirling galaxies of the other realms blanketed the sky. Tonight, they were marvelous. “Just getting a breath of fresh air.”
“Thor’s looking for you, by the way.”
“I’m sure that he is. He’s currently blaming me for the fact that his boots are a size too small. They are, of course. But the spell should wear off in about an hour, so I really see no need to reverse it,” he grinned, but it wasn’t the type of Loki grin that you were used to. You could tell that his whole heart wasn’t in it. It was probably just to get you to stop asking if he was okay.
It wasn’t working. “Are you alright, Loki? You seem off.”
“I’m fine,” he said a little too quickly. “I just don’t like these dances all too much.”
You leaned against the railing. “Yeah, I get it. I don’t either.”
The couple that was standing a few feet away erupted into a fit of giggles again. She took ahold of his hand and playfully dragged him back into the hall, and they disappeared into the crowd. You and Loki watched, envy flowing through your hearts.
“My father thinks his voice is the only one in the room that matters. It’s honestly maddening. I’m tired of all his speeches and the like. They sound just like his lectures.”
You put on an overly dramatic pout and stood up comically straight. Your hand flew up to cover one eye. “Ooh, look at me! I’m the Allfather, and I’m going to tell you about how great my son Thor is! Look at him; he is so blonde and big and built like a triangle!” You mocked in a deep voice as you gestured to some shrubbery by the wall that was about Thor’s height.
Loki genuinely laughed. It was one of your favorite things to hear. It always had been, ever since the two of you were kids. When Loki wholeheartedly laughed, you knew that you were all that mattered at the moment, and he wasn’t thinking of some snide remark to accompany his usually dry chuckles.
You dissolved into laughter yourself, breaking character.
It was just you and Loki on the balcony now, the light and music from inside the banquet hall quietly bleeding out into the nighttime air. His shoulders held less tension in them, and he seemed to finally be able to relax a bit. What you thought would be an awkward moment alone with him turned into a comfortable silence between the two of you.
You were the first to break it. “Y’know, if it matters to you at all, I think it’s brilliant that you magicked Thor’s shoes tonight.”
Loki scoffed. “Really? It’s so simple.”
“Yes, but effective! What a good idea! To magic his shoes on a night filled with dancing? He’ll feel uncomfortable all night!” you gushed. It really was an excellent idea.
He smiled. “I’m glad you think so.” His eyes darted to the dance floor, where Thor was chatting it up with Sif. He pointed to them. “5 bucks he’ll trip over her at least twice.”
“Ha! 5 bucks he can even get her to dance! Sif is not one for the dance floor.”
“Ugh, you’ve got a point. It was a pointless bet anyways.” Loki flexed his fingers, and they sparked with green magic. Your eyes widened. You loved it when Loki did magic. It was so fun to watch.
He noticed you staring at the tips of his fingers as they sparkled.
“Want to try?” He asked.
Your brow furrowed. “What? I can’t do magic. I’m not like you.”
“Sure you can. Here,” Loki stepped behind you and wrapped his arms around you. “Take ahold of my hand.” He spoke quietly, but his lips were so close to the shell of your ear that it made you shiver. He held out his hand and poised it as if he was asking someone to stop, his long fingers spread wide. You wrapped your hand around the back of his and interlaced them, your fingertips touching his palm. You could feel the heat and electricity radiating off of him.
“Breathe in,” Loki commanded.
You and he moved as one, both of your chests heaving at the same time. His hand glowed a bright green.
“And out,” he murmured. As you exhaled, you felt the energy surge through your own fingertips as they touched his palm. A bright streak of energy shot from his hand. It flew forwards before dissolving into a shower of tiny colorful fireworks.
You gasped.
“Pretty, huh?” He murmured.
You nodded. “Yes, you’re really amazing at that.”
Loki smiled. “That wasn’t me.”
“Wait...what?”
“I just merely provided the energy. It was you who made the fireworks.”
Disbelief radiated through your system. You released your hand from Loki’s and stared at it. You were shaking slightly.
Loki stepped out from behind you and took both of your hands in his as if he were trying to warm them up. His were still faintly glowing. “I think that with some practice, you could get the hang of it,” he said with a sincere smile.
“No...but I’m not...I can’t do magic, Loki! I’m a soldier, not an enchantress.”
“Says who? You can be whomever you please. Magic just takes a bit of practice. I’m sure that with some training, you’d get the hang of it.”
You looked up at him. His eyes were just as pretty as the galaxies above you. “You really think I could learn magic?”
He squeezed your hands. “Absolutely. You’re much more powerful than I think you give yourself credit for. I can feel it. You just need to learn how to control it.”
“And how might I do that?”
“Lessons, obviously.”
You scoffed. Odin would never let you study magic. You were a warrior, and that was it. “Yeah, right. Like there’s just thousands of magic scholars wandering around Asgard.” You tugged your hands away from Loki and threw them up in the air in exasperation. “Odin would never let me. I’m an Einherjar, remember? That’s all I will be in his eyes.”
Mischief danced across Loki’s eyes. “What if Odin didn’t need to know?” He took a step closer to you. “I could teach you myself. He would never know.”
You considered his offer. Learning to use magic would be incredible. You might finally be able to hold a match to Sif and Thor. While you were very close friends with them and a fine warrior yourself, their skill still greatly outweighed your own. But having Loki teach you would mean much more alone time with him. You weren’t sure your heart could handle that. You chewed your lip in contemplation. The more you thought about it, the right decision became clear.
You looked to Loki with a determined look in your eyes. “Alright. Let’s do it.”
Notes:
Agh, I know. Before yall kill me for not making you and Loki dance, hold that thought!! It'll come in due time. This will certainly not be the only opportunity for you two to dance together :)
Chapter 5: Hot Water
Summary:
Your first magic lesson doesn't go exactly according to plan
Notes:
I am so, so happy with how this chapter turned out! I think it's the longest so far, so buckle up. Things are about to get interesting ;)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Asgard's Training Arena, Many Years Ago
"Hya!" You shouted as your wooden blade came into contact with Thor's.
He quickly shoved you backward, causing you to fall into the dirt of the training ring. He pointed the blade to your throat.
"I win!" He said triumphantly. He lowered his wooden sword and offered you a hand to help you up. You took it, and he hauled you off the ground.
You dusted yourself off. "Good move, Thor. I'll have to remember that one," you said with a grin.
You were only seven, but your training had already begun. Nothing too dangerous, of course, but nothing necessarily too safe either. You would practice fighting with Thor and his friends for hours in preparation to one day become a fierce warrior.
Your mentor called out to you and Thor. It was time to clear the ring so that the older warriors could get their turn for practice. With some grumbling from Thor, you guys packed it in for the night. You met up with Hogun, Fandral, and Sif and headed for the feast hall for dinner. Laughter and conversation bubbled among the group as you walked.
You tapped Thor on the shoulder. "Hey, where's Loki?" you asked.
Thor only briefly glanced at you before his attention was pulled back to Volstagg and Hogun, who had begun to shove each other around. "Haven't seen much of him to-WOAH!!" A particularly hard shove from Hogun had sent Volstagg barreling into Thor. They topped over like dominos. You quickly stepped aside to let them pummel each other in the dirt. He hadn't answered your question, and it bugged you. Loki was always overlooked by the others.
After Thor and Volstagg worked out their differences through fists, you and the warriors continued your trek to the dinner table.
As you turned the corner to the grand hallway that led to the hall where your dinner would await, someone came running down one of the side-staircases. They barreled into you, knocking both you and themself to the ground. All the books in their arms clattered to the floor.
"Woah, watch it there, Loki! You nearly killed her!" Thor remarked as he helped you up.
You dusted yourself off and began to help Loki pick up his scattered books.
"Sorry," Loki mumbled.
You waved your hand towards the feast hall. "You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up in a second," you told Thor and his friends. You knew they would become antsy if they waited for you and Loki, and there weren't enough books for them to need to stay and help.
"Okay!" Thor said with a shrug. He and his band of rowdy friends continued on towards the promise of a large and tasty dinner.
Loki picked up the last fallen book. "Thank you, but you didn't have to help me. I could've gotten it."
"No, it's fine. I don't mind. You want some help carrying all these?" You were still holding a substantial stack in your arms.
Loki considered your offer for a moment. "Yeah, actually, I think I would."
You smiled and grabbed a few books off the top of his stack.
Loki looked confused. "What..? You didn't need to do that. I can carry them just fine."
"I gotta get stronger!" you explained as you tried to hold all the books with only one hand. They swayed precariously, so you quickly put both hands back on.
Loki rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Norns, you really remind me of Thor sometimes."
"I hope you know I take great offense to that."
"You should."
As you resumed the walk to the hall, you looked at the cover of the book on top of the pile. "What exactly are all these books for, Loki?"
"Studying."
"Studying what?"
"Mother's trying to teach me magic."
"Magic?!"
"Yeah, she's really good. I wanted to learn too, so she decided to show me how. These are just for some extra help."
"Huh, I didn't realize you could learn it. I thought it was something that you were just born with."
"Yeah. Mom says that Thor probably couldn't if he tried to," Loki said. A small smile twitched at the corners of his lips. You both knew what that meant. Loki might finally have a leg up on his brother. You pretended you didn't see the divide between the two, but every day it grew more and more and got harder to ignore. Thor was, quite literally, the golden child. But with Loki learning magic, he might have a chance to become even more powerful than him.
You straightened up. "Well, I bet that one day you'll be the best sorcerer this realm has ever seen." You meant it.
The tangy taste of your words hung in the air as you both considered the implications involved.
"Yeah, me too," Loki added quietly.
Loki's Quarters, Present Day
"I'm hopeless!" You sighed, collapsing onto the couch in a miserable mess. Your first magic lesson was not going well.
Loki sat beside you on the floor. "You're not hopeless. You're just..." He struggled to find the right words. "For lack of a better term, maybe you are hopeless."
You gave him an ornery look. "I can't even summon stupid little sparkles!"
"Just give it time."
"Ugh, maybe I'm just not cut out for this. I should just stick to hand-to-hand combat."
"You don't want to turn out too much like Thor and his group of ruffians, do you?" Loki said. "Get back up and try it again."
You rolled over, so you were lying on your back. You reached your hand out in the perfect position to summon something. You concentrated so hard on channeling magic through you that your vision began to blur. After a minute, you let your hand fall back to your side. "See? Nothing."
"Do you remember what I told you?"
You rolled your eyes. "About the spring? Vaguely."
"Must I really explain it again?"
Considering you hadn't gotten it the first time, you nodded.
Loki stood up. "Magic on Asgard is like a spring," he began. He used his hands a lot when he explained things. You found it cute. He continued, "It flows in great abundance here, through every aspect of this realm. You just have to figure out how to tap that spring and channel it through yourself. Magic already streams through your veins. The trick is just understanding how to get it to do what you want."
His explanation reminded you of something Frigga would say. Probably because it was. She was the one he learned from, after all.
"Well, I guess that I must be a Midgardian because this isn't working!" you said frustratedly, your hands clenching into fists.
"You should take a break. You're starting to try too hard." Loki said. He was just as much at a loss on how to teach you as you were at how to learn, but he certainly wasn't going to let you know that.
"That sounds like a great idea." You paused. Now what? Would you stay here with Loki? Would you go take a page out of Thor's book and punch your feelings away? After a moment of consideration, you spoke again. "I'm gonna go home."
Loki looked a bit hurt that you didn't want to stay, but he could tell how upset you were at your lack of progress. "Alright. I'll see you later then."
You moved towards the door. "See you later."
You slipped out into the hallway, not bothering to look back at Loki. The last time you had done so, all it did was hurt your feelings.
You stood alone in the corridor. Now, what to do? The day was waning on, and you wanted to be asleep at a reasonable hour tonight. The strength it took to try and conjure up something during your magic lesson had drained you, so you were not in the mood to stop by the training arena.
Then, the perfect idea popped into your head.
The hot springs.
Hidden in one of the mountainous canyons just beyond the city, it took about an hour to get to on horseback. You reckoned that if you left now, then you'd be able to make it there right in time for the sunset. You rushed to your quarters and packed a bag with a bit of food and a good book. After packing up and grabbing your cloak, you ran for the stables. They weren't too far away, only down a few flights of stairs and out through the courtyard.
A handsome stablehand acknowledged you as you arrived. "Are you new?" he asked after waving you over.
You laughed. "No, no, I'm not new. I just haven't been here for a while." You scanned the stables. Thor's white horse, Gullfaxi, was munching happily on some hay in his stable. Loki's horse was missing from its spot, much to your dismay. He had a fine horse, and you would've liked to have stolen it. Thor's would have to do. He wouldn't mind. Probably.
"Can I borrow Gullfaxi for a bit?" You asked the stablehand.
He eyed you suspiciously. "Yeah, sure. Does Prince Thor request him?" He asked as he unlatched the gate and led Gullfaxi out to the shed where all the tack was.
You leaned against the side of the shed. "Uh...yes. He needs me to take him to the front gates of the palace," you quickly lied. Loki's mannerisms were starting to rub off on you again.
"Why don't I just take him? A pretty maiden such as yourself shouldn't have to concern herself with the petty matters of the princes."
You nearly burst into laughter again. If only he knew that you would've liked to concern yourself with much more than the princes' petty needs. "It's fine. I'll do it myself."
The stablehand tightened the saddle. "He's all ready." He handed you the lead rope. "I trust you'll be returning with him?"
You nodded. "That's the plan."
"Well, I hope to see you then," he said with a wink.
You wanted to roll your eyes, but you mustered a kind smile and led Gullfaxi out of eyesight of the stablehand. As soon as you were sure he couldn't see you, you swung your leg into the stirrups and grabbed ahold of the reigns. Gullfaxi reared up and whinnied under your control. With that, you were off.
The springs were one of your favorite places in all of Asgard. Four staggered rock pools of varying depths that all spilled over into one another on the side of the mountain; it was the perfect place to relax. Jotunhiem didn't have such luxuries, at least to your knowledge.
After the long ride to the springs, you were immensely grateful to see the flowing pools of steaming water. You quickly dismounted Gullfaxi and tied him up to a nearby tree. Lucky for you, the pools were completely empty. You stripped, deciding to go all the way since you were alone. No reason to be self-conscious of yourself when there was no one there to see you.
With a sigh of contentment, you slid into the hot water of the rock pool. The water felt so good against your sore and aching body. It was a good moment of real peace since you returned home. Jotunhiem had not been kind to you. Particularly your back. You had a rather large new scar running across it, a take-home prize from a moment of weakness in which you had turned your back to one of the Frost Giants, and it had struck you down with its icy sword. It was one of many new knicks and cuts you had gotten while away, but this one you especially hated. It reminded you of that stupid, fleeting moment of fear and weakness. And on top of that, the cold of Jotunheim had caused it to heal strangely. Ugh. Just thinking about it made your stomach turn.
You tried to think of other things besides the scar. You dunked your head in the water and ran your hands through your hair, trying to wash away the memories.
As you settled against one of the rock walls of the pool, you closed your eyes. The warm water enveloping you was making you a bit sleepy. The sun hadn't even dipped below the horizon yet, so you figured you had time for a quick nap. Trying to learn magic had drained you, and you could honestly really use a good nap.
The warm glow of the sunset on your face woke you up. The sun was fully setting now, the sky filling with golden hues of pink and orange. You weren't sure how long you were asleep, but it couldn't have been too long. You swam to the edge of the pool and propped your head upon your arms on the rocky ledge in order to watch the sunset.
"My, my, that's quite the scar you've got," a sly voice said.
A bolt of fear surged down your spine. You whirled around to see Loki leaning against one of the trees at the edge of the pool, his blue eyes playfully glancing you over. Apparently, you had both had the same idea after that stressful lesson. "Shit!" You quickly tried to cover yourself, as the water was far too clear for your comfort. "Loki! What the Hel?!" you yelled.
"Shhh, no need to be so shy. I was not expecting anyone to be here either. However, I am not opposed entirely," Loki said calmly.
Your heart was racing. How long had he been there?!
"I-I-I really wasn't planning on running into anyone. Much less the likes of you," you managed to stammer as Loki undid his shirt buttons. Was he planning to get in? The thought made your stomach flutter.
"That appears to be evident. But like I said, no need to be shy." He shrugged off his shirt. Gods, he was pretty. Such beautiful cool pale skin. Honestly, you were expecting him to be skinnier. In comparison to Thor, he was. But on his own, you could see his toned muscles quite clearly.
Loki chuckled. "Like what you see?"
You snapped out of it. "Wh-?"
"You're staring. And blushing too, I might add."
You sank down deeper into the water. Shame and embarrassment flooded your system.
"Are you…" you started to say. You watched as his fingers undid his pants. Your breath hitched. "Are you going to get in?" you managed to finish.
"Why? Would you prefer me not to?"
"No, no, no," you said all too quickly. "I just...do you want me to look away?"
Loki smirked. "Do you want to look away?"
You blushed even deeper.
He began to pull his pants down, but you turned away before you could see anything too revealing. Staring at the Prince of Asgard's naked body was NOT on your to-do list today.
You heard the splashing of water behind you, and slowly you opened your eyes. You looked back to find the god lazily dipping his hair in the water. The steaming water went up to his waist, thank the Allfather.
"You're staring again," Loki remarked as he flipped his hair back. Water droplets went flying.
"I'm sorry! This is...a new experience. I've known you forever, Loki. This feels...weird."
"Shouldn't that just make this normal?"
"If anything, it makes it weirder!" you exclaimed.
Loki chuckled. "Does it?" He said softly, walking closer to you. You moved backward, but you hit the edge of the pool.
Your heart thundered against your chest. Loki was mere inches from you.
"Let me see it again," he said.
"'What?"
"Your back. Let me see it."
You reluctantly turned around. Without warning, you felt Loki's slender fingers brushed along the scar line. You arched your back at his unexpected touch. Wherever his fingers grazed, it left you craving more of the electric feeling that they left behind.
"What did this to you?" His tone was laced with darkness you had never heard from him before.
"A frost giant," You quietly admitted.
Loki hummed in acknowledgment. "I ought to kill those bastards myself," he said quietly.
You turned around and slunk back up against the rock wall of the pool. You crossed your arms over your chest to give yourself some modesty. "Well, that was my original goal. As you can see, it didn't go exactly to plan."
He moved, so he was sitting across from you, enough distance that the electricity between you two momentarily disappeared. "Do you think you'll return to Jotunheim?" he asked.
"Anything to come out of that place is better off dead. But I'm not sure I'll have a choice."
Loki raised his eyebrow. "Why not?"
You looked away and splashed your hands around in the water. "It's my job. It's not like I can just run away from it. But I don't really want to go back. I don't think I'm like the others. They all seem to thrive in battle all of the time, but I just.. don't. I don't like searching for a war to fight."
"Me neither." He paused. "Thor's too rash. He can't think beyond the swing of his blade."
"Exactly! Like, I'm all for fighting, but lately, it just feels like he's been picking fights for the Hel of it," You said, gesturing your arms in agreement.
Loki nodded. "Odin notices."
"He does?"
"Yep. I overheard him talking about it with my mother. He's worried about how arrogant Thor's become."
"He probably should be."
You sat in silence for a moment.
"Do you think that the Allfather will crown him king?"
Loki scoffed. "He's the obvious choice."
"Well…"
Loki stood up. You quickly averted your gaze out of instinct, but the water was a comfortable depth. "You can't pretend that you don't see it. Thor is stronger and bolder. He's quite literally the golden child. He's always been my father's favorite." Bitterness laced his words.
You sighed. "Well, you're my favorite," you quietly admitted. There was weight to those words; you both could feel them hang heavy in the air. He was much more than your favorite. You really wished that he knew that.
Loki didn't say anything.
Desperate to break the awkward silence, you continued. "You've got much more potential than Thor. I bet you could take the throne."
You stood up, no longer concerned about modesty. You felt as though you had already exposed yourself, and there was no going back from that. Loki didn't look at you as he considered your words.
He turned back to you, poised to say something, but as his gaze landed on your body, all he could manage was a soft exhale.
You waded towards him. He wanted to reach out to you, to put his hands on you, to put his lips on you and have you in a way that no one else had. But he stopped himself. You saw his hesitation and took the lead. You interlaced your fingers with his and drew his knuckles up to your lips so you could press a gentle kiss to them.
Loki was purely in awe. Partially because you were the most beautiful thing he'd ever had the luck to lay his eyes on, but also because you were bold. Much bolder than he, especially now in this moment of uncertainty. You'd rendered the quick-thinking, charismatic god who normally had six hundred things to say completely speechless.
You're my favorite.
The words echoed in his head like church bells. He had never been anyone's favorite.
You could still see the hesitation lingering in Loki's body. "You can touch me. It's okay," you said quietly.
It was as if you had lit a fuse. He quickly grabbed you and pulled you close to him, his hands snaking around your waist. Your skin was slick from the water. His fingers delicately brushed against your scar again. He paused before his lips met yours. You were so close now, just a whisper away.
"You're sure?" He breathed.
Your heartbeat quickened. All you could look at was his lips. Your throat closed up as you tried to answer him. No words could escape, so you did what was best.
You kissed him.
Softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made you cling to him as if he were the only solid thing in a dizzy, swaying world. His insistent mouth parted your lips, sending wild tremors along your nerves, evoking from you sensations that you had never known you were capable of feeling.
He was intoxicating, like sweet wine. Better than that, even. Wine had nothing on the feelings that he instilled in you.
Had it always been like this? Even when you were children? Had Loki never truly noticed, or was it easier to ignore because you were the only person who made him feel like he was worth noticing? Any sort of attention had become water in the desert to him after being so long overlooked and neglected by Odin.
He pulled away from you. Your lips were rosy and glistening. He wanted to dive back for more, but yet again, that nagging feeling in the back of his head told him no. Instead of kissing you again, he leaned forward, so your foreheads were touching. Your nose brushed against his.
The two of you stood together in stunned silence. The sun had slipped below the horizon, and the faint outlines of galaxies began to spread above your heads like butter on toast. Your hands had found themselves woven together yet again. He looked at you, eyebrow quirked in a concerned manner.
In a moment of pure, overwhelming passion, you grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. The desperation between the two of you was beginning to grow, and your resolve to stay away from each other was quickly fading.
"We should really head back." You said between kisses.
He pulled away for a breath. "Yeah, we really should. It's getting dark."
Your lips crashed into his again. His hand snaked down your leg, gripping and kneading your thigh.
"Odin's probably expecting you," you managed to say.
"Probably." He lifted you up and placed you on the edge of the rock pool in one swift movement, a testament to his underlying strength. Your skin tingled as the cold mountain air hit the parts of you that had previously been submerged in hot water. You shivered.
"Cold?" Loki asked you as his lips ghosted across your neck. He took a particular liking to a spot above your collarbone and began to suck a dark mark into it. His tongue, hot against the cold contrast of your skin, licked and sucked a deep purple bruise into your skin. The dull sharpness of his teeth digging into you was enough to make you cry out.
Your hands raked through his dark locks of hair. Your mind wandered back to that morning you had braided his hair so delicately, how beautiful it had looked, how his face had lit up when he had seen it.
Loki's fingers inching over your thighs swiftly brought you back to reality. As he moved his mouth down your chest to the tender part of your breast, his fingers skimmed over your thighs. His touch left electricity flowing through your system, something that you hadn't felt before. Loki certainly made you nervous. You weren't unfamiliar with feelings of anxiety and adrenaline, but this? This was something different. This was a burning, writhing sensation that made its home in the core of your stomach and glazed your eyes with lust.
Loki felt it, too, you could tell. His pupils were so dark, they barely left any room for that thin ring of icy blue around them.
His slender fingers kissed the most sensitive part of yourself. You bucked your hips forward to meet his touch. He slowly toyed with your arousal and broke off a kiss to grin mischievously at you.
"Oh my gods, Loki. If you intend to merely tease me for the rest of the night, I might just have to stab you," you said breathlessly. You wanted more so badly.
"In all due time," he assured you as he slowly began to work his fingers in between your thighs.
You held onto him tightly as you rode his fingers. Each movement was enough to send fireworks to your brain.
"Loki, please," you whined. "More." You could tell that he needed some attention too, it was getting increasingly more obvious.
He raised his eyebrow. "Do you really think you could handle it?"
To be perfectly honest, no. You did not. As it was very clear to you now, he was a god in more ways than one. But was that going to stop you? Absolutely not.
You nodded eagerly.
Loki looked at you cautiously. Then, his eyes glanced down to your lips again, and you were just overwhelmed by your feelings for him. You instantly dove in for another kiss. His hands rested on your hips.
"Lift up, please," he murmured.
You obeyed. You were practically liquid under his touch.
The tip of his cock was blushed and slick with precum. Loki aligned your hips with his and looked into your eyes. He didn't break eye contact as he shoved himself into you. You both gasped.
"Fuck~!" you cried out. You grabbed at his shoulders and pulled him closer to you. His hands moved from your hips to your back. One hand gently rested on your lower back while the other held your neck. He pressed you into his body and held you tightly. He pressed a gentle kiss into your shoulder.
He sank into you, burying himself fully. You could see the muscles tensing in his neck as he desperately tried to keep himself still, allowing you time to adjust to the whole of him inside you. You bit your lip, feeling an equal combination of pleasure and pain from his size, and your eyes screwed shut as you waited for the throbbing to pass.
He glanced down at you. "You okay? I can-"
You tried moving, causing Loki to break his sentence midway with a gasp.
You increased the pace, sliding along him to the tip but never fully coming off before moving upwards again. He gripped your hips with his hands again so tightly he might leave bruises. It offered a welcome contrast from the intensity between your legs. Loki began to meet your upward strokes with downward ones of his own so that his hard length drove deeper into you every time. Loki moaned softly, and you squeezed his shaft, causing him to shout your name. He held you close, meeting that spot with every thrust.
As you two neared the inevitable edge, Loki began to whine more and more. It was just small moans at first, but they quickly became loud cries of pleasure. He fucked you harder, his movements becoming more erratic with increasing desperation. His hand came up to touch your clit. He could tell you were getting close too.
With a few touches, your entire nervous system felt aflame with passion. As your vision blurred and a shuddering wave washed over you, you felt Loki's grip tighten on you again. He wasn't far behind.
He held you tightly as he came. You reached your arms up around him and tangled your fingers in his dark hair once again.
Both of you stayed like this for a moment, panting and reveling in the haze of pleasure.
"It's dark out," you remarked, trying to regain your breath.
Loki nodded. "Indeed it is."
"We should really head back."
Loki picked you up off of the rocky ledge and set you down in the hot water of the spring once again. "Probably," he replied. He began to scrub your thighs, stomach, and breasts, trying to clean you off a bit. He pressed a gentle kiss to each one of the developing bruises he had left on you. They would be much worse tomorrow, but it didn't matter. You couldn't care less.
After cleaning himself off, too, Loki offered you a hand up out of the water. You accepted and tried to pull yourself up. A rock on the bottom of the pool shifted under your foot, causing you to fall into his arms with a yelp and a splash.
He quickly grabbed onto you and pulled you to your feet once again. He smiled. "Watch yourself there," he chuckled.
You blushed. "I swear, I know how to walk."
Loki playfully rolled his eyes. "Sure you do."
You smiled at him. His cheeks were rosy, and his hair was wet. He looked so pretty in the moonlight. You wanted this moment to last forever. Just you, Loki, and the stars of other realms twinkling knowingly above you.
Notes:
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! What'd y'all think? I'm so curious to hear your thoughts!
Chapter 6: Trouble
Summary:
Trouble is brewing in the house of Odin.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Loki!” Thor yelled from down the quiet hall. The palace was nearly empty at this hour; almost everyone had gone to bed. Almost everyone.
Loki froze in his tracks. He really had hoped he could’ve gotten back inside unnoticed. I should’ve taken the secret passage… he internally scolded himself. He whirled around to face Thor, a fake grin spread across his smug face. “Brother! It’s awfully late for you to still be up, don’t you think?”
Thor crossed his arms. “I came by your room to speak with you about some fairly important things. Where the Hel have you been?!”
Loki’s mind flickered back to his lips on your neck and your body under his touch in the hot springs. “Library.”
“You lie, brother. I checked the library an hour ago.”
“Oh my, what an important thing this must’ve been for you to stomach setting foot in the library.”
“It is! Norns, Loki. You’re a prince just as much as me. You can’t go running off like that to who knows where.”
“Cover your eye, and I’d swear you were Father. You’re starting to sound just like him.” Loki began to walk away from the conversation.
“Loki! This is important!”
“I’m sure it is. But can’t it wait until the morning? I’m simply exhausted.”
“It’s about Father.”
Loki stopped walking.
You had returned Gullfaxi to the stables unseen and made it back to your room before anyone could notice you were gone.
With a heavy sigh, you collapsed onto your bed. You didn’t even care that you were still in your regular clothes. The comforting embrace of your own bed and the dull haze of happiness from seeing Loki blanketed you softly. You quickly fell asleep.
Knock, knock, knock!
A loud pounding on the door caused you to jolt awake. “Coming,” you mumbled quietly as you shifted over and away from the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Coming!” You yelled. You groaned and rolled back over to face the door. With a heavy sigh, you heaved yourself off the bed. Your dress was wrinkled, your hair was a mess, and you were pretty sure your face had sheet marks on it. Oh well. It couldn’t be anyone too important, right? It was still the early hours of the morning, and you were positive no one wanted anything to do with you.
You swung the heavy door open. “Whatever this is, it better be-Thor?”
The blonde prince was standing right in your doorframe, a panicked expression across his face. Loki stood behind him, nervously messing with his fingernails.
“Is everything okay?” you asked.
Thor’s hesitation made your stomach drop. “It’s father. Please, come quickly.” He glanced down at your sleep-mussed dress. “You might want to change.”
You sensed this was a matter of urgency, so you gave him a curt nod and closed the door. You quickly pulled on a pair of brown pants and a flowy white shirt. You hastily tucked in the shirt and threw on a pair of boots that had been tossed to one of the corners of your room. You looked at your spear and shield sitting in the same corner. The morning light from the window was shining on the shield, making it hard to ignore. A gut feeling told you that you needed to bring it.
You took the shield up in one hand, your spear in the other. You flexed your fingers against the leather loop you held onto inside the shield.
“Ready?” Thor asked as you opened the door again.
“Yep. What exactly happened?” You questioned as you began to walk down the hall.
“I can’t find him. He’s just...gone.”
“What? He’s gone? Where?”
“Well, if we knew the answer to that, then we wouldn’t be on this little witch hunt in the first place,” Loki said.
You sighed. “Have you told the other warriors yet?”
“Yes, I told them to meet us in the feast hall,” Thor replied.
Loki laughed. “Ah, so you told them no actual information on what’s going on here? I’m sure that will go over smoothly.”
“What do you mean, he’s gone?!”
“He can’t just disappear. He’s the fucking Allfather!”
“Are you sure he’s not in the library or something? Thor, I know you haven’t been in there in a while.”
“Did anyone think to ask Frigga?”
“Shut up, Loki. Obviously, someone would’ve been smart enough to ask Frigga,” Thor said.
No one replied. Hogun coughed.
“...Right, guys? Someone asked Frigga where he is, right?”
Volstagg didn’t make eye contact with anyone. Sif glared at Hogun, who wouldn’t look her in the eye either. Fandral picked at his nails.
“Are you seriously telling me that no one thought to ask the one person in this realm who would know where he is? Oh, Norns. You really are all idiots.”
“Shut up, Loki. You’re not helping.”
“I’m helping you realize how idiotic all of you are. And to think, I got myself all worked up over this.”
“In my defense, no one told me what was happening,” Fandral chimed in.
“Would she really know where he is?”
“Why don’t we just go in and ask her. Is that such an outrageous idea?”
“Fine. Loki, you go. You seem the keenest.”
“I’ll go with you,” you volunteered a little too quickly. “Only if you want me to, of course.”
Thor glanced at you and Loki with a puzzled look on his face. He shrugged. “Okay, I suppose that solves that then.”
Loki rolled his eyes as you, and he started to walk away from the others. “Honestly, it’s insulting that you won’t go talk to your own mother,” he called back at Thor.
“Just go.”
“I AM!”
“GO FASTER!”
Loki tentatively pushed the door to Frigga and Odin’s room open. You both stepped inside quietly.
She sat peacefully by the windowsill with a book open across her lap. The circular window she was gazing out of overlooked the palace orchard.
Frigga greeted you both upon your arrival. “Ah, Loki. Lady Y/N. Is everything okay? You seem worried.”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m here on behalf of my oaf of a brother who won’t come talk to you.”
You gave her an awkward wave. “And I’m here too.”
She gave you a kind smile. “What’s wrong?”
“Where is Odin? Thor’s freaking out because no one knows where he is.”
“Oh, he’s not on Asgard right now. He didn’t tell you?”
“No. He didn’t,” Loki replied through gritted teeth. “What exactly is he doing off realm?”
“He’s doing some personal monitoring of the other realms.”
“Oh, that’s very specific,” his voice became heated.
“Loki…” you warned. “It’s not her fault he didn’t tell you. There’s no need to be like that.”
Loki bit his tongue. You were right. “Thank you for this informative conversation, mother. I will now be going,” he announced. Frigga looked slightly surprised at his sudden departure, but it didn’t linger.
You felt awkward just standing next to Loki while this clear tension began to grow. You smiled at Frigga. “Allmother, as always, it’s been a pleasure. Me and the prince of darkness here will now be going.”
You grabbed Loki’s arm and began to pull him towards the door. He didn’t protest. Instead, he looked a bit defeated.
You and Loki approached Thor and the warriors who were standing in a huddle, whispering amongst themselves in the middle of the hall. To passersby, they must’ve looked like quite the sight.
“He’s off realm,” Loki told Thor as he walked up.
“Why? Is something going to happen?” Thor replied.
“Norns, if I know, she didn’t tell me the specifics.”
“When will he be back?”
“I just told you, I don’t know.”
“You could’ve asked.”
“You think I didn’t?”
“I can’t trust that you didn’t.”
“Of course. Typical me, always lying.”
“It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.”
You were sick of this bickering. “Will you two stop?! It doesn’t even matter anymore. The point is, we know where he is now. Will you two stop freaking out?”
Thor and Loki quieted.
“I’m going to go...train. Sorry for rousing all of you,” Thor said quietly. His posture slumped a little bit in defeat, a stark contrast to the overly-confident and bold Thor that you knew.
The warriors all muttered various versions of “it’s okay, you didn’t know, it’s really no problem, etc.” before disbanding and heading back to their respective quarters to try and go back to sleep.
Loki didn’t say anything. He was thinking, you could tell.
You looked down at the shield and spear in your hands. Well, you were already up. There was no point in going back to bed now.
“Thor! Wait for me!”
Your shield clanked against your side as you ran after Thor.
“Hey, is everything okay? That seemed...strange. A bit out of proportion, if you ask me,” you asked as you caught up to him.
Thor huffed. “I”m a bit...pent up. I want to fight something, y'know?”
You couldn’t say that you weren’t entirely unfamiliar with the feeling, but it certainly wasn’t one you chased. “Yeah, I know. I also think I know a pretty good solution.” You hopped over the barrier surrounding the dirt training arena. “A good old-fashioned sparring session!” you announced with a grin, spreading your arms wide for as dramatic of an announcement as you could make.
Thor laughed. “Alright then. That doesn’t sound all too bad. You’re on.”
He, too, hopped over the barrier and stood opposite you. You poised your spear to strike, but Thor dropped Mjolnir on the ground.
“No weapons. Let’s do this the old-fashioned way,” he said.
“What? The son of Odin fight without his hammer? Is it Ragnarok already?” You taunted. Norns, you really had been spending too much time around Loki.
“This is for your safety, not mine. Trust me.”
“Fine.” You dropped your shield and spear into the dust. “Let’s have at it, then!”
You approached Thor carefully, trying to remember the offensive techniques you’d learned. But Thor had learned them, too, and knew exactly how to counter them. He swung at your right shoulder, and as his fist made an impact, you felt it echo throughout your system.
You groaned and shook it off. “Alright, I”m definitely awake now!” you said as you lunged at him. Unfortunately, Thor always nearly had the upper hand on you when it came to fighting, given the fact that he was one Hel of a lot larger than you. But you knew a few moves that could get him on the ground.
You tried to sweep his legs out from underneath him, but no dice. He was a lot stronger than you remembered. He swung another punch at you, but you easily dodged that one.
Thor was a lot more about the hard punches and direct attacks, whereas when Loki sparred with you, he was more about stealth and creating a balance of offensive and defensive moves.
Fitting …. You thought to yourself as Thor tried to sweep your legs just as you had tried to do to him a few moments prior. Unfortunately, he succeeded. You landed in the dirt with a thud.
“Woah, you alright there? That was a hard fall,” Thor asked as he extended his hand out to you.
You hauled yourself up. “Ow, that one definitely hurt.”
“We should probably stop,” Thor suggested as he helped you up.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. I can do this all day,” you said as you shook yourself off and poised yourself to strike again. As you did, you felt your shoulder pop. “On second thought, maybe we should.”
“Here, sit. Have some water,” Thor said, gesturing to the barrier around the arena.
You pushed yourself up to sit on it, and Thor leaned against the wall next to you.
You still felt like he wasn’t telling you something. “Thor.”
“Y/N.”
“What’s going on? You seem aggravated.”
“I just want to get out there, you know? If I could just have some freedom to fight like the warrior I was meant to be, then I’d be a lot happier,” Thor admitted, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of his face.
“Thor, I don’t think you’ll find happiness in fighting the war of the realms forever. And honestly, Your willingness to throw yourself into battle at the first sign of a scrape doesn’t exactly make me the most confident in your future as the king,” you said. It was the truth. You were worried about him.
“You sound like Mother.”
“Well, maybe she’s right.”
“Maybe she isn’t!” Thor snapped. He pushed himself off of the wall and began to walk toward the block of washrooms at the other end of the arena.
“Thor!” You called after him, but he didn’t look back. You sighed. These damn Odinson boys were always so dramatic.
The conversation left you with a rotting feeling in your chest. You felt like you couldn’t do anything right around Thor and Loki. And something was most certainly going on that Thor wasn’t telling you about. Both him and Loki were acting weird lately, and you were determined to find out what it was.
With a heavy sigh, you stood up and began to head toward the one place you had always felt at home.
The library.
Notes:
Thank you all for your patience on this one!! I likely won’t update for a little bit since I have another Loki-themed project in the works right now and I want to focus my attention on that, but I’ll be back with another chapter as soon as I can!
Mike_row_phone on Chapter 1 Sat 21 Aug 2021 08:22AM UTC
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Coraline_Finn on Chapter 1 Fri 18 Nov 2022 06:44PM UTC
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valyrie (Guest) on Chapter 1 Tue 20 Jun 2023 12:53PM UTC
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valyrie (Guest) on Chapter 1 Tue 20 Jun 2023 01:00PM UTC
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grimsparks on Chapter 2 Sun 03 Oct 2021 12:09AM UTC
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Jax2themax on Chapter 4 Sun 03 Oct 2021 06:08AM UTC
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sxloki <33 (Guest) on Chapter 4 Tue 05 Oct 2021 05:58PM UTC
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pegging enthusiast (Guest) on Chapter 5 Tue 19 Oct 2021 04:05AM UTC
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Scarlett_Jade_Tomson on Chapter 5 Thu 11 Nov 2021 06:28AM UTC
Last Edited Thu 11 Nov 2021 06:29AM UTC
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Coraline_Finn on Chapter 5 Sat 30 Jul 2022 01:11PM UTC
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Venus (Guest) on Chapter 6 Tue 23 Nov 2021 07:59AM UTC
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nochaossoundsboring on Chapter 6 Mon 10 Jan 2022 02:37AM UTC
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Sezzy (Guest) on Chapter 6 Sat 29 Jun 2024 04:42PM UTC
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