"Bring her to me."

"But, sir…"

"You heard me."

"Sir, I strongly advise…We'll incur the wrath of Njor."

"Did I ask for your advisement?" the pale, black haired, now angered God snarled. "I may not sit at the throne of Asgard but I swear to you, if you do not do as I ask I will make sure you live to regret it. Wrath is nothing I have not dealt with before but believe me when I say mine is far worse than anything Njor could ever present to you."

The man that stood before him furrowed his brow but finally obeyed, turning to leave. The God of Mischief shook his head. You'd think nearly being kind of Asgard would earn him some respect but, apparently nothing. Loki had managed to find refuge in the land of Vanaheim, home of one of the oldest branch of Gods, the Vanir, experts in sorcery and magic. He mostly kept to himself, out of sight and out of mind as they say. He kept a quiet, nearly secret residence, avoiding contact with most of the outside world as he devised his next move. A few of the less…patriotic citizens joined his cause but he was missing one important piece. A piece that would soon be brought to him…or so he'd hoped.

Night fell. As he sat alone and in the darkened room he heard bustling outside. Rising, he headed for the door, to find his army had returned, their torches lighting the dark sky, and in the grasp of the two largest men, the beautiful goddess he'd been waiting for.

"Freya…" he spoke through a mischievous smile.

"My father will have your head," the beauty snapped. "Release me before you incur the wrath of the Vanir."

"Do you know not who you're speaking to?" Loki fired back. "Do you not know who I am?"

"You are Loki…of Asgard…"

"You're wrong. I am Loki of Jotunheim…and I merely request your assistance."

Freya rubbed on her wrists as the men finally released her. "You could've asked before assigning your haphazard army to kidnap me."

"Would you have agreed?"

"No."

"Then you understand my methods." Loki took a step to the left and an extended an arm, ushering the maiden inside. "Please. Enter."

Freya eyed him skeptically but obliged, following the dark haired God into his shelter. She took a moment to gaze over her surroundings, looking for anything she could use in battle.

"I promise you, I have not brought you here to harm you in any way…"

Freya scoffed, running her fingertips over the beautiful carved table in front of her. "As if you could."

"Your confidence has always been incredibly attractive," Loki smirked.

Freya rolled her glassy emerald eyes. "Why must you send your men to harass me? You could've just asked for my presence. You know that."

"This is more fun," Loki stated. He stepped forward and laced his fingers through her long dark locks, tugging her head back before thrusting his lips upon hers. "Besides, you angered is one of the sexiest things I have ever seen in all of my days."

Freya laughed as he ran his cold fingertips over her exposed collarbone. "We can't keep doing this, Loki. Someone will catch us eventually."

Loki shook his head. "You seem to think I care in some way, shape or form but I do not. I want the world to know how I feel about you. You're the one hiding it."

"You are a war criminal, Loki Laufeyson…" Freya said with a laugh. "I am the Queen of the Valkyries. How is this ever supposed to work?"

"The way it has been…"

"Which means staying in secret. You can't kidnap me from under my father and brother's noses. Are you trying to start a war?"

"Wouldn't be my first," Loki responded with a crooked smile.

"You are insufferable," Freya laughed, kissing him intensely, passionately.

"Yet you love me…." Loki retorted after she pulled away.

"I don't believe I've ever uttered those words."

"You don't have to. I can see it in the way my touch causes your skin, your body to tremble," he stated, running his fingers down her arm.

"I think that's more because of the frost giant…"

"You're very cruel to me, my love. Yet I believe you do it on purpose, because you know exactly what punishment you will incur." His words whispered into her ear caused an endless amount of goose bumps to ripple across every inch of her frame. "Why do you deny me so?" he practically hissed into her ear. "You crave me as much I crave you. You can't deny it. Your bated breath, the glaze over your eyes is your tell. Say what you will, keep your heart guarded however you like. You are mine and that is something you will never change."

Freya took a step back from the man behind her, shaking her head. "I can't. I cannot do this any longer, Loki. We are…asking for trouble…every second we are together is a second closer we are to destroying everything I've ever worked for."

"And what good is you work if you are alone?"

"I am never alone."

Loki snickered. "Your trysts? The men gathered in your past that have meant nothing? How dare you even suggest they are on my level. Freya, my darling Freya, you are more invested in I than you ever have been with anyone, even my brute of a brother…"

"This has nothing to do with Thor."

"I never said it did," Loki retorted. "I just want you to stop denying your obvious feelings."

"What good will it do?" Freya asked. "Speaking my feelings about you aloud will only break my heart more when I am forced to walk away. Because I WILL be forced to walk away. Whether it be of my own accord or because my father finds out and…likely imprisons you. This cannot last, Loki of Asgard. You know as well as I do."

"So let's leave…"

Freya laughed. "And go where? Your father can see into all the realms. He knows you're here now. And if you leave, with me, can you honestly say he won't come to Njor and tell him everything?"

Loki scoffed. "I am certain Heimdal has better things to do than watch our sexual escapades."

"Are you telling me he hasn't?"

"Haven't asked." Loki walked away and folded his arms across his chest. His usually high-held head fell, his emerald eyes landing on the floor.

"Loki…" Freya sighed, stepping toward him and reached out, but he shied away from her touch, something he had never done before. "Please don't hate me."

Loki scoffed, tipping his head back, mouth open toward the skies. "As if I could, Freya. There are two beings in this world I have ever truly loved and…I'm not allowed to have either of them." He paused. "At least Frigga is dead. A more viable excuse." He shook his head, his black locks tossling about. "Just go. If this what you want, then it is what you shall have. Leave, Freya and be assured that I will never bother you again."

"Loki…"

"I SAID LEAVE," he roared, his back still toward her.

Freya gulped, but once again obliged his insistent request. The men had scattered from outside the dwelling and the galaxies were brightly lit across the darkened sky and Freya had a long walk home. She needed to talk to someone. The someone that knew Loki the best.

"Freya?" the brute of a man asked, stepping toward the cloaked figure in his room at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. "What're you doing here?"

Freya sighed as she dropped the hood from her head. "I need to speak with you. I…I… I don't mean to impose but I'm afraid it's rather urgent."

"What's wrong? Is it my father?"

"No, no…Odin is fine…it's your brother…"

"Loki? What has he done now?" Thor questioned, immediately assuming the worst. "He promised to stay out of trouble…Tell me he hasn't found a way to invade Vanaheim."

Freya laughed. "Not in so many words."

Thor appeared confused. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or…"

"I may have broken his heart…"

The God of Thunder raised an eyebrow and laughed. "You what?"

"I believe…in fact I know, as he has stated it repeatedly, that your brother has fallen in love with me," Freya exclaimed.

"Well that is cause for celebration! This will unite our realms in ways never before!"

"It's not that simple, Thor."

"And why not?" Thor asked. "You care about him, or else you wouldn't be here."

Freya gulped. "My father will never approve. Nevermind Freyr…"

"And what is more important? The happiness and love that fills your heart or the approval of those around you?"

Freya laughed. "That's not fair. You…are the purest of pure. You hold Mjolnir."

"Freya, do you love my brother?"

Freya cleared her throat, not wanting to answer Thor's inquisition. "It does not matter. I came here to ask you to speak with him. To make sure he's alright and not…"

"Going to do something stupid?"

Freya sighed a little laugh. "Exactly."

Thor took a deep breath and sighed, rising to his feet. "I will go inquire with him. But you, dear Freya, need to inquire with your heart. For I don't believe you've quite made up that mind of yours." He took a step forward and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Hmm. You and Loki…it actually makes sense."

"Please just go," Freya laughed. "Incorrigible. Both of you."

"Must be why you like us so," Thor stated, flexing his eyebrows before disappearing out the door, his hammer in hand.

Freya stood a moment and sighed. She knew Thor was right. She just didn't know what she could possibly do about it.

"Enter." Loki spoke, hearing a rapping at his door. He glanced over his shoulder to find his brother walking into the room. He chuckled, laying down the book in his hand. "Brother, I assure you, whatever reason it is that you are here, I am not at fault. I have kept my promise. I have hidden myself away in these chambers. I have not…"

"Loki, please," Thor interrupted. "I come as your brother, as a friend."

Loki rose, his arms lifting into the air. "Look around you, brother. I have no friends. I have a…very quiet and…lonely existence."

"Aside from one fair maiden, I hear."

Loki gulped. "I don't know what you've heard, but…"

"There's no point in arguing. Lady Freya came to me herself. She seemed quite worried about your disposition when last she left you."

"My disposition is no longer a concern of hers…nor is it of yours. Let us end this conversation. You go back to your realm, I'll continue hiding in my cave."

"Brother, she is worried about you."

"Is she? Then I ask of you: why are you here and not her?" Loki inquired. "If her heart yearns for my happiness so…so deeply, why is it she refuses to admit that we are anything? That any feelings reside for me in her heart? She cast me out. She made it perfectly clear that we were and will be nothing at all."

Thor sighed heavily, his great shoulders falling. "You have to understand where she's coming from, Loki."

"Oh I understand. I understand perfectly," Loki insisted. "See, when she was with you it was like…the worlds had found new hope. It was celebrated, reveled in. But once again Loki cannot live up to his brother's enormous shadow. I have to have men pretend to kidnap her in order to get her attention. Did she tell you that? We've never been outside of these quarters. Our love has never seen the light of day just…the dark, unrevealing night. Am I that much of an embarrassment? Is it that terrible for me to actually live in happiness or do my crimes not even allow that? I'll have to pay for what I've done forever, Thor. I know that. But I thought I'd found someone who could see past that. Once again I was wrong."

"Loki…"

"I really do not care to discuss this any longer," Loki stated. "You win, alright? Once again the mighty Thor has prevailed."

"What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with me."

"IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!" Loki roared. "You get to prance around and be the hero and have everyone adore you and fall at your feet and I can't even get one person to love me. Not. One. I got to pretend for a little while. But…even in all of that I somehow new that I would never get to keep it. No matter how much I wanted to." Suddenly instead of anger, his face was washed with sadness, a sadness that Thor had never seen in his brother in all of their lives. Loki gulped and began nodding his head. "I loved her, Thor. I really did. And I was really good at it. She made me want to be a different, to be better than I ever had been. I felt safe. I felt secure. I was happy. For a fleeting moment, I was happy."

The pain in his brother's voice was enough to trigger his own emotions. Here he was, standing before someone who had at one time nearly destroyed all of the nine realms and now…he wasn't that Loki. He was vulnerable and hurt and so very, very lonely. And it was a Loki that Thor could very much identify with. He remembered what it was like being away from his Jane, how much it tore at his very soul. "Brother, maybe if you just talked to her…"

"And say what?" Loki asked with a scoff.

"What you just spoke to me."

Slowly, Loki's head began to wave back and forth, his long locks crashing into his face. "It's no use. Even if I were to tell her all of it, it wouldn't change her mind. Her allegiance lies with her father and her brother and her precious warriors. Not with me." He took a few steps and sank into the chair, facing his brother. He rested his elbows on his long legs and put his head in his hands. "It's hopeless. All of this. Thinking I'll ever have anything more than this is the most cruel joke I have ever played on anyone."

"Loki, I…"

"Please. Just go. I'd like to be alone now."

Thor strode toward his brother and placed a strong hand on his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. Without another word, he turned and walked into the night-lit Vanaheim. However he was not yet intent on returning to Midgard.

"What are you doing here?" Freya exclaimed, jumping as Thor practically just appeared in her quarters. Dressed only in her night garments, she quickly found a robe to cover herself. "How is he?"

"Why don't you go find out for yourself?"

"Thor, I…"

"Stop making excuses," Thor commanded, angrily. "The Loki I just saw was not my brother. I have never seen him in so much pain, so broken. So confused."

"I never meant to hurt him."

"Freya, that is what you do," Thor growled. "You play with hearts like it is but a game. That's all you have ever done. Love means nothing to you."

"That's not true, Thor. That's not true at all."

"Isn't it? Name one. Name one creature that this hasn't been just a game with."

"Your brother," Freya snapped, tears burning in her eyes. "Is that what you wanted to hear? Is that what you wanted to know in coming out of your great accusations? Yes, oh mighty Thor, I love your brother dearly and I would give absolutely anything for that love to last, but it can not. There is no possible outcome in which he and I can be together."

"And why not?"

"Because!" Freya exclaimed with a laugh. "He is…the God of Mischief. It wasn't that long ago he was trying to rule over your precious Midgard. Have you forgotten?"

"I have not. But you of all people should see how much he has changed, how much you have changed him. If I am willing to give this new Loki a chance, how could you not?" Freya stayed silent as Thor walked toward her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, their eyes met. "He loves you, more than I have seen him love anything or anyone in all of our days. He needs you Freya."

"I don't know what to do…" Freya said, softly, fighting back tears.

"Go to him. Please. I beg of you. Go to him."

"And say what?"

"That the way he feels isn't completely in vain and that you do, in fact, love him as much as he loves you."

Freya just stared at the great man before her and sighed. Going to Loki would lead nowhere good, yet it was all she wanted to do.

Loki looked up from the book in his hands, confused by the knock on the door. Slowly, he rose. Uncertain of what was awaiting his answer, he cautiously moved toward the great wood door and opened it slowly, finding a petite black cloaked figure before him. It took a moment, but as the head rose and the hood dropped, all of the air left his lungs.

"Freya…" he said softly, overcome with shock. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I had to see you."

"Come in," he stated, stepping back to allow her in the door. She walked in as he shut the door behind them. He wrought his hands together almost nervously, unsure of what her presence meant. "I didn't anticipate you visiting so soon…or ever for that matter."

"Yes, well…after he left you Thor came to me and insisted that I needed to speak to you," Freya stated.

"I think we've said all that needs to be said."

"I haven't," Freya argued. She cleared her throat, collecting herself for a moment before she looked up into the eyes in front of her. "I love you, Loki. With…every ounce of my being. I have never felt this way about anyone or anything in all of my days…"

"Freya…I…"

"Let me finish," she interrupted. "I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with you. By your side, you at mine. But…I am frightened…because of your past. Because of our past. And to be…completely honest, I am unsure if I can trust you with my heart."

"You can," Loki assured, stepping toward her and taking her hands in his. "I would never do anything to hurt you, to betray your trust. You are all I want in all of the worlds. I swear to you. Every word, every kiss, every touch, I meant all of them."

"I did too," Freya said through tears, throwing her arms around his neck. "I love you."

"I lo…"

Before he could utter the words he so yearned to say the front door flew open and in burst Freyr and roughly a dozen guards from the palace.

"Get your hands off of her," Freyr growled.

"Freyr!" Freya shouted as two of the men took hold of her and another few took hold of Loki. "Let him go!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Freyr hissed, stepping toward his sister. "Have you gone completely mad?"

"Please, I can explain. Just let him go."

"No. He's being taken to the prison."

"What!? Why!?"

"For kidnapping the Queen because I can think of no other reason for your presence here," Freyr answered through gritted teeth. "You're lucky I'm here and not father."

"Let go of me!" Loki shouted as he struggled away from the men holding him captive just so another group could grab hold. "Freya, tell him! Please!"

"Freyr, I came here of my own volition," Freya insisted. "I promise you he has done nothing wrong."

"I know. I've known for awhile now. Your midnight trysts aren't as private as you'd like to think them to be," Freyr snarled. "Did you honestly think you could leave the palace every night and go completely unnoticed?"

"Then you know he's done nothing wrong," Freya stated. "Please. Let him go. Let's talk about this, please. All of us."

"No. If this is what I have to do to keep you safe…"

"She's not in any danger," Loki growled.

"QUIET MONSTER!" Freyr shouted, turning and putting the tip of his sword at the throat of the trickster before him. "If you think for one second I will allow you to continue to cast your spell over my sister…"

"There's no spell," Loki stated, trying to remain as perfectly still as he could, the sharp point still at his Adam's apple. "She's fallen in love with me."

Freyr laughed. "Impossible. No one could love you."

"I do," Freya stated.

Freyr turned back to his sister, his eyes widened in horror. "Do you hear yourself? Do you hear the words coming from your mouth right now?"

"Yes, Freyr. I do," Freya stated. She walked forward, inching between Loki and the sword of her brother. "I love him. And if you're taking him, you're going to have to take me as well because I will never stop."

"So be it."

Freya shrieked as two of the guards grabbed hold of her, violently pushing her toward the door. "Loki!"

"Freya!" Loki screamed after her as she was drug off into the night. He fought and fought to escape the grasp of the soldiers holding him, but it was to no avail. His angry eyes flew back to Freyr. "I promise you, I will do everything within my power to make sure you pay for this."

Freyr stepped toward the angered God. Leaning in, their faces mere inches apart. "What makes you think you'll be alive long enough to try?" he snarled before his men drug Loki out the door. He stood alone in the dwelling a moment, angered. This could not happen. Not on his watch. And he would stop the Frost Giant by any means necessary.