He had to try. Loki clenched and unclenched his borrowed, withered hands, debating with himself. He wiggled uncomfortably on the magnificent marble throne of Asgard, trying to act as Odin would, seeing as he was shifted into the old King's form. Was there no other way? Loki sighed. Of course not. Thor loved her. This was his chance. He took a deep breath, put a few layers of confidence on, and called for his brother to enter the throne room. Thor, son of Odin, God of Thunder, stepped into the hall humbly. When he reached 'Odin', he kneeled, causing Loki's heart to flutter with pride. His own brother finally kneeled for him. Even if not directly. *convo goes here if I'm ever motivated to put it*
"Oh, a-and I do believe Jane is waiting for you in the garden. Best not to keep a lady waiting." Loki added shakily, adjusting himself for a quick exit once Thor was out of sight. Thor simply nodded, bowed, and exited the throne room. Loki let loose the grin he had been holding back the entire conversation as he swiftly dismounted the throne and took the long forgotten secret passage to the Palace Gardens; magic. A brief flash of green light later, and he was a flawless counterpart of the human his brother had grown so fond of. He sat himself down carefully on a slightly crumbling stone bench. He folded his hands delicately and adjusted his long, auburn hair. Only a moment later, there was Thor, with an expression Loki hadn't seen on him for a long time; affection.
"Jane. Have you not returned to Earth yet? I am sure Eric and Tessa (I think?) are waiting for you." Thor asked striding over to disguised Loki, gently grasping his brother's hand in his own. Chills shot up Loki's back at the touch, but not unpleasantly. His heart began to beat faster. His mind raced to find an answer that would sound believable and get him what he wanted.
"O-oh yes. Of course. I just wanted to say goodbye first. And thank you." Loki added, remembering his manners. He bit his bottom lip gently, looking up at Thor, also remembering those rarely used flirting tips his mother had taught him long ago. Thor smiled, which made Loki smile back.
"Jane, there is no need to thank me." Thor gently reached for Loki's other hand and held it against his very vulnerable waist. Loki simply smiled, being too afraid to say anything for fear of breaking his cover and looked up at his brother with hopeful eyes. The God of Thunder looked back, mirroring his eager expression. Loki tilted his chin up ever so slowly, watching Thor's go down at an equal pace. Loki felt his eyes closing and his head getting light as the brothers' noses brushed. Before that final half inch was closed, Thor leaned back, sighing gently, leaving Loki dizzy and confused.
"W-what?" Loki asked, almost breaking character and pulling him back.
"Jane I..." Thor began, head in hand. "I am very fond of you, but... I truly love someone else." Loki's heart jumped into his throat, choking him with surprise.
"Who?" He asked, silently begging Thor would suddenly spill his soul to him. The First son of Odin only chuckled humorlessly.
"It is... probably past the threshold of your understanding. I will tell you someday. I promise. Until then..." Thor leaned down and gently placed a kiss on Loki's forehead, causing his entire face to turn as red as Thor's cape.
"W-well, keep in touch! I'll be waiting for your explanation on earth!" Loki did his best to imitate the 'spicy' attitude of a flustered Jane. Loki turned, and ran towards the rainbow bridge, simulating Jane's exit. Thor did not pursue.
Once far out of Thor's sight, Loki shifted into an Asgardian guard, and finally took a breather, physical and emotional, against a column of the outer palace. He covered his still red face with gloved hands and groaned. An incredibly risky act for almost nothing! Thor doesn't love Jane. The realization finally hits him. Loki's mind raced. Who could it be if not that human? Another Asgardian? He racked his brain for answers, but it was too fuzzy to pick apart a complex subject such as women. Loki slumped over, head hitting his armored knees with a clunk. He needed to recompose Loki closed his eyes, silently seething that his brother had exhausted him so from one simple kiss. He sighed and grinned. I will get my revenge, dear brother...
Loki awakes to a sensation of a sharp pain in his hip. He opens his eyes to see a tall, gruff guard kicking him with a gold boot.
"Wake up you oaf! Falling asleep on your shift! You're lucky Lord Odin is away, or it would be to the gallows for you!" A harsh voice snaps. Loki stands quickly, rubbing his sore side.
"Sorry sir…" He mumbled quietly, avoiding eye contact with the fuming general. He grunts and continues his patrol. Thoughts began to rush through Loki's head once again, this time, a bit more discernable.
Thor loves someone… And it's not Jane. Maybe Sif? We'll see… He checks around him for any guards or citizens. The coast is clear, so he slips back into the palace, heading to his brother's chambers. On the way, he sheds the guard camouflage, and transforms into Sif with ease.
Loki stalls in front of the massive ornate doors that lead to Thor's room. He remembers all the fun they had as kids here. Jumping on their beds, telling ghost stories, staying up way past their bedtimes, surly making their parents furious. Loki smiled, a tear running down his cheek. As if any of that could ever happen now. He knew Thor detested him, after all, he was a Jotuun, Asgaurd's mortal enemy. He was the monster parents warned their kids about at night.
When I'm King… He heard Thor's younger voice clearly in his head. I'll slay them all! Loki closed his eyes and cringed, willing the tears away. That's why he had to do all these despicable things to get Thor's love. He would never like Loki again. Much less how he liked him. Without warning, the doors in front of the crying frost giant swung open revealing a decked-out Thor, obviously ready for battle. Or at least training.
"Sif? What are you doing here? Why are you crying?" Thor exclaimed, gently taking Loki's hand and leading him to a luxurious chair in the cozy room.
"O-oh, tis' nothing my Lord." Loki stuttered, praying his disguise wouldn't falter as well.
"Well, tis' obviously something. Why are you crying?" Thor asked softly, rubbing a calloused thumb over Loki's trembling hand. Loki had to think and think fast.
"My Lord… I-I heard that you proposed to lady Jane." Loki lied through his teeth as smoothly as ever. Thor only chuckled, running a hand through Loki's long black-brown hair.
"Of course, not Sif. She was not fit to be Queen of Asguard." Thor assured, arms returning to himself, making Loki a bit cross. He pressed his lips into a pale, angry line.
"Then who is going to be our Queen?" Loki pressed, kneading his hands together anxiously. Thor gave him a pensive smile, placing a large hand on his shoulder comfortingly.
"Preferably, the one I love." Thor sighed warmly but frowned before continuing.
"But, in the end, it's whomever my father deems worthy of the throne." Thor says mechanically, as if reading off a script. Loki chances a glance at his brother. His eyes are glassy, a painful melancholy in the blue seas. This hurt Loki profoundly, but he smothered it in petty anger, per the usual.
"Why don't you just marry who you wish? Surely Lord Odin trusts your judgement." Loki asked curtly. Thor removed his hand from Loki's shoulder to run it through his own blond hair, exhaling slowly.
"I don't know where my love is. And even if I did, I doubt they would be willing to wed." Thor explained. He does not love Sif… Then who could it be?
Loki sat, rather furious in Odin's grand chambers, splayed out on the luxurious bed, thoughts bouncing through his head a mile a minute. He ran a hand through his own greasy black locks, not needing to transform into Odin, because who in their right mind would enter the King's private room without invitation?
"Not Jane." Loki mumbled to himself, preforming a mental checklist. "Not Sif. No one easily located in Asguard." He conjured a green rubber ball and threw it across the room. It bounced against the wall and shot back to his hand. He repeated the soothing process, deep in thought. At first, he was on task, listing possible candidates, but soon enough his thoughts trailed off, focusing on Thor, like they usually did. Thor's goofy grin. That look he gave when Loki was hurt; so concerned, yet incredibly comforting. His idiotic face… Loki chucked the ball too hard and he missed catching it. It ricocheted against the headboard and flew off into a corner. Loki cursed and rubbed his temples. Suddenly, it hit him. No, not the ball. An idea.
One of the Avengers! Of course! Any of them would be a worthy leader of Asguard Loki agreed begrudgingly. And Thor wouldn't know where they were at any given moment, so it all checked out! But how to leave Asguard without being noticed… Well, teleportation. Obviously. How to get them to meet up… That would be the fun part.
"My Lord! Urgent message from The Avengers!" Loki squeaked through the vocal cords of a prepubescent messenger boy, bursting into Thor's chambers and instantly kneeling, presenting the God of Thunder with a note he had written.
"By the All-Father!" Thor ran over and snatched the letter from Loki's shaky hands, quickly reading over it. Loki watched his expression carefully as he read.
Thor,
We need you in Manhattan ASAP! That means as soon as possible incase you didn't know. That took longer to explain than to just write it out the first time. Anyway, get your royal ass down here!
-Tony
Thor instantly folded the note up and put it in a pocket of his armor and started out of the room.
"Thank you, child." Thor added kindly, patting Loki's now blond hair, making him flush. Before he could reply, Thor was gone. As much as Loki wanted to live in that moment forever, he had to meet Thor in Midgaurd, and make sure none of the real Avengers were there, seeing as there was no real emergency.
Shifted as Natasha, Loki sat on a modern looking couch in Avengers' Tower, playing with his new red hair, awaiting Thor's arrival. Loki smiled to himself. Tony must really trust JARVIS if he was willing to eat anything that the robot put in front of him. It was too easy to drug him. Now, let's hope he doesn't snore. Soon enough, Thor arrived, flying in from the balcony, slightly sweaty. Loki cursed under his breath as his heart jumped at the sight.
"Ah! Lady Natasha!" Thor greeted Loki, walking up and kissing the back of his hand formally. "Where is Tony? He has summoned me." He pressed, the last bit with a tad of pride in his voice. Loki smiled gently. Oaf…
"Haven't seen him. He, uh, summoned me too." Loki parroted the human's dialect, patting the couch beside him. "Sit down, you look tired."
Thor let out a hearty laugh.
"Tired? A God never tires! But, if you wish me to sit, I will my Lady." Thor agreed and sat. For a few moments they just sat there, Loki feeling awkward as hell.
"Uh, so, how's Asguard these days?" Loki tried to start a conversation, knowing that Tony wasn't going to show up soon.
"As magnificent as ever." Thor answered, lazily checking his armor for any dents or scratches. Loki internally huffed, realizing Thor wasn't going to keep up the exchange.
"How's the new Queen?" Loki inquired cheekily, giving Thor a knowing sideways glance. He chuckled politely and shook his head.
"I am still trying to find one." Thor clarified, cheeks turning a tad redder.
"Oooo, whatcha' look for in a Lady? What are the certifications for being Queen of Asguard?" Loki asked, standing up, stretching, and meandered towards Tony's fully stocked bar. He pulled out a wine glass from under the counter and inspected it carefully. Loki did his best to remain nonsuspicious and human like, but that was easier said than done. A perplexed noise escaped Thor.
"Wh-what?" Thor lost his composer for a split-second. Loki's stomach dropped, fearing he said something wrong. A moment later, Thor had an ah-ha moment, and proceeded to explain.
"Oh, Lady Natasha, I did not mean any disrespect, I had forgotten that Queen had a female connotation in Midguard. You see, in Asguard," Thor described, following Loki to the bar and sitting in one of the red leathered bar stools. "A Queen is whomever the King's lifelong partner happens to be. Female, male, or otherwise." Thor patted Loki's shoulder, looking into his dull blue eyes.
"Oh." Was all Loki could muster. Of course, he knew this was the case in Asguard, but he never even dreamed his own brother could even perchance feel that way. Loki had filled a large mug with a random tap in Tony's collection and handed it to Thor. "So, you like men?" Loki asked, getting tired of tiptoeing around the subject. Thor spluttered into his drink but masked it with a fake cough. Loki grinned. Precious… After Thor had recovered from his 'coughing fit', he answered.
"Well, yes. One man in particular." Thor agreed bashfully, chugging his mug. Loki refilled it for him.
"Who?" Loki pressed, so close to victory he could almost smell it. Thor chuckled and waggled a finger.
"I cannot tell you that. I am certain you would not understand. He…" Thor paused, changing his grin to a look of pure happiness. "He's the love of my life Lady Natasha." Loki's insides writhed and twisted with envy of this nameless man. How could Thor love someone and Loki not even have an inkling of who it may be?
"Aw, c'mon. You can tell me. I won't tell another soul!" Loki begged, 'zipping' his lips. Thor looked around them anxiously to see if anyone was there. There wasn't.
"Well, I suppose I could. I love—"
"WHO THE HELL THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO DRUG ANTHONY FUCKING STARK?" A completely wasted looking Tony burst into the room, livid. Loki suddenly felt the same way.
"I don't know Tony, maybe it was yourself. You really shouldn't drink this much…" Loki got up and stomped over to the wobbly billionaire, shoving him back into his room.
"Wait! Natasha, Tony has summoned us for a mission!" Thor boomed excitedly. Tony turned to him, giving a disappointed sneer.
"Your mission is to kiss my as—" Loki gave the final shove and sufficiently cut the raging genius off getting him back into bed. He passed out instantly. Loki sighed, both to regain breath and to show annoyance. He walked back to the bar and laid his head down on the cool marble.
"So, you did not happen to catch what our mission was did you?" Thor asked tentatively, walking up behind Loki to rub his back comfortingly. Loki gave an obligatory chuckle.
"No. I think he called us when he was drunk again. He does it all the time." Loki sighed again, trying not to lean back into Thor. "At least, to us in the city. Or in this world."
"Well, I should be getting back to Asguard. Princely duties." Thor waved, and left, Mjolnir in hand. Once he was completely out of sight, Loki flopped onto the couch and groaned. This was so much more difficult than Loki had anticipated. He needed to head back to the city of gold {CHECK THAT FOR A BETTER PHRASE} seeing as Odin was currently locked up, and thus not on the throne, nor anywhere to be found, which would cause quite the uproar. I do too much… Loki griped.
Somehow, Loki was being too subtle. His thick-headed boor of a brother wasn't giving him the information he required. He would have to force it out of him.
'Odin' drummed his fingers nippily against the cold, marble throne, awaiting his 'son'. If Thor could be dense and obvious, Loki would have to get on his level. The most direct question he could ask.
"Who will be Queen of Asguard when I'm gone?" Loki's voice echoed ruthlessly through the vacant vestibule, causing goosebumps to form on his arms from how foreign it sounded. Thor exhaled quietly and nodded to himself. He was expecting this question.
"Father I…" Thor began, bottom lip betraying his stony expression and quivering slightly as he spoke. "I know whom I would desire to be my Queen, but…I…" The God of Thunder stalled, looking at anything but his father. Loki was rapidly running out of patience. He felt like he would be as old as Odin by the time he got his answer.
"By Odin's beard, SPIT IT OUT YOU BUMBLING BAFOON!" Loki bellowed, absolutely fed up. Thor, clearly quite shook, took a tentative step forward. Loki immediately regretted his clumsy outburst. He repositioned himself, eyes scanning the hall rapidly, looking for a quick escape if needs be. Loki's eyes returned to Thor, who had relocated a few paces closer, making Loki entirely too nervous. His disguise was flawless; there was no way Thor would suspect any foul-play. Besides his incredibly un-Odin-like behavior.
"F-Father, I would like permission to marry…" Thor swallowed thickly. Loki sat at the edge of his seat, heart beating intensely. "I wish to marry… Loki of Jötunheimr, the God of Mischief." Thor revealed, staring into Loki's increasingly widening eyes. The frost giant's heart seemed to stop. His icy green eyes welled up. *Christina Perry's A Thousand Years starts playing*
"Wh-what?" Loki's camouflage evaporated around him. He completely neglected the fact that he had been 'missing' for the past few months. He was too stunned to care. Loki's vision blurred with tears. "Br-Brother, I—"Loki started, but was cut off by Thor's warm and snug embrace. The flood gates broke and Loki began to sob into his brother's chest, reciprocating the hug. "Thor, I missed you." Loki admitted his emotions. (Eww.)
"Loki…My dear brother…My sweet Loki…" Thor mumbled into the shorter man's locks, wetting them with tears of his own. "No need to cry brother. I missed you as well. Where have you been?" Thor's massive hand stroked Loki's hair tenderly as he pondered.
"Where haven't I been?" Loki giggled, wrapping his hands up in the fabric of Thor's thin, white shirt. Thor was quiet for a few moments, and the gods just enjoyed each other's company.
"So, is Tony going to be alright?" Thor asked cheekily, pulling away to see Loki's reaction.
"T-Tony? Did something happen to him?" Loki's stutter ruining his attempt to seem unsuspicious.
"I knew it was you. The whole time." Thor chuckled, resting his chin on top of Loki's head.
"The whole time?" Loki cringed. His game must've been off…Every time.
"The whole time." Thor admitted, smiling into Loki's hair. Loki pulled back suddenly.
"Thor I love you. Marry me." Loki clasped his hands over his mouth instantly after his words. What was wrong with his composure these days?! Thor simply grinned and wrapped a long arm around Loki's waist.
"As you will, my Queen…" Thor whispered, kissing his brother, his new lover, and his old enemy. It was going to be a wild ride. Just kidding, this is a short story. No more for you. Ha ha ha. Unless you all demand more… Then I guess I will.
Fin
