DISCLAIMER: I'm a lowly grad student. I don't own Thor or any of the Norse mythology... obviously. Please don't sue me. Enjoy!
There was a storm brewing in Asgard and Loki could feel it vibrating under the throne as he sat, victorious and seething with power, watching his newly acquired kingdom. He had heard the whispers in the golden halls that called out for intervention, begging the good queen to look at the subterfuge playing right under her gaze but she was too grief stricken to look. Her eyes were on Odin, praying for his recovery and she stayed by his side allowing Loki to rule in his stead—to her it was simply protocol, and to others it was an abomination. Even citizens with little knowledge of palace turmoil felt within their hearts that something was fundamentally out of place with Loki's ad hoc coronation. He closed his eyes for a moment and let a grimace replace the placid mask that he traditionally wore as he replayed the dismay in his mother's eyes along with the doubts of the people. They called for Thor's return, they called for the firstborn to be placed on the throne instead of his trickster brother for the god of mischief could never rule a kingdom.
Anger rose in his stomach and his grip tightened on the staff he held in his hand, the horned helmet on his head feeling heavier than it had moments ago. They were idiots, they couldn't see what damage Thor's arrogance and recklessness would do to their beloved Asgard. At every feast thrown to honor a new victory for Thor, he sat quietly and watched the people fawn over their battle-lord, showering him with gifts and praise. It was said that courage in battle would guarantee a seat in the halls of Valhalla and if that was true, Thor would no doubt be seated at the head of the great table but Loki would once again be forgotten. His own feats of greatness seemed to pale in comparison to his brother's, even if they were of the same caliber. They were never equal.
Even when they all rode into Jotunheim on that suicide mission, no one was able to withstand Thor's persuasion… which is precisely why Loki himself went along with it in the first place. He had orchestrated a humbling experience for his headstrong brother, highlighting and underlying the over-apparent fact that Thor would make a dangerous king. It only took a few words of encouragement from Thor to convince Sif and her simpleminded warmongering comrades to ride into the cold, desolate wasteland. He snorted ruefully into the silent hall causing the guards at the foot of the throne to jump in surprise before all fell quiet once more. His thoughts turned to Sif and a sneer slowly and maliciously crossed his face. They had been enemies since childhood, when she used to follow Thor and his idiotic friends, tagging along like a lovesick kitten. Everyone knew that Sif longed for Thor and it angered Loki to no end, so he did what any jealous little brother would do: he antagonized Sif. They would get into heated arguments, viciously cruel words spat between the two children like baby vipers until one day Loki snapped. As an adult she stood out among the Asgardians; her hair was darker than the night sky while everyone else's was honey blonde, surely anyone possessing the power of sight could see an obvious difference. However Sif was not born with dark hair—it was Loki who made her different, more like him.
Young Sif had made the grave mistake of cornering Loki during a particularly venomous fight, her golden hair hanging like the most expensive curtain spun by expert craftsman. He was barely paying attention to her words at first, only captivated by the way her blue eyes lit to flames as she yelled at him, her chest heaving with every enraged breath that she took. They were in their awkward years when limbs were longer than they should be and voices cracked but Sif managed to dodge the plague of adolescent clumsiness. He only snapped to attention after she had touched upon his own misfit status and as she reached up to touch his own dark hair, he grabbed her wrist. His eyes narrowed as the potent mixture of anger and embarrassment flowed through his veins while his grip tightened: it was satisfying to see the fear in her eyes and he, for once, possessed the power. Young Loki let her go but in the night he snuck into her rooms and completely sheared the golden hair right off her head. Thor beat the snot out of him the next day and he was forced to request replacement hair from the dark elves, allies of the Asgardians but she never looked the same. After the incident their animosity towards each other was set, although Loki's snide remarks were undermined by something more.
Now as he sat as king of Asgard, she was bound to him by loyalty to their kingdom and he once again felt the power over her. He was not surprised when she and the idiots three came barging into the throne hall with a request to rethink Thor's banishment and it was satisfying to see the shock on all of their faces when Loki sat upon the throne instead of Odin. He had felt her then, her mistrust and dislike culminating into an expression she wore plainly on her face. She was practically forced by Fandral to kneel before him and as they all left in dismay, she stayed behind a few moments longer to convey her anger before she turned on her heel and walked out. Hours later, her face still floated in the back of Loki's mind and he took great pleasure in seeing her bow before him, however forced it was. In fact, he liked that she was forced to acknowledge his power and a thrill went through him.
"Send our dear friend, the lady Sif to me." He spoke clearly into the silence.
It was not long before the light footsteps of the lady warrior echoed through the halls and she stood before him, eyes once more blazing in irritation with her arms crossed.
"You wished to see me, Loki?" Her words were clipped, but tinged with apprehension. She knew he now held the power to do nearly anything, banish her if he really wanted. Sif walked on thin ice, and she knew this but keeping her anger in check was proving to be a battle.
He remained silent atop his throne with his head bowed, the shadow of the great horned crown effectively hiding his face. For a handful of minutes he let her stand there in silence, waiting for him to speak and it made her nervous. Her heart beat faster with every passing second and she began to shift her weight from foot to foot before he raised his head, a sly smile accompanied by the familiar icy gaze.
"Why do you not bow to me, Sif?" His voice was lit with amusement but she knew the danger behind Loki's brand of jokes. She immediately dropped to one knee and lowered her head, swallowing thickly behind the adrenaline. She wished he would just attack her, at least then she could defend herself but Loki was a wait-and-watch opponent. She heard him stand and descend the stairs, her eyes locked on the shining floor of the hall.
"Much better." His voice was low and his breath on the outside of her ear nearly made her shiver. He was a magician, crossing the space between them in no time at all. Sif could feel how close he was to her and she could do nothing but remain kneeling, her muscles protesting at the position. "We have known each other for quite a while." He stated simply. "You may rise, lady warrior."
Hastily she lifted herself from the floor and regained control of her fear. He wouldn't kill her, she was fairly certain of that but she couldn't figure out what he wanted from her. It wasn't to chat about old times or reminisce about childhood memories, for there were no real pleasant ones to remember. Loki stood behind her, too close. Her eyes darted to the guards stationed on either side of the throne but they simply looked away. She was completely on her own with the snake of the house of Odin. He placed one hand on her shoulder and she tensed immediately, earning a low snicker from the fox king.
"What's the matter, dear Sif? A touch from Thor would have you trembling out of need but I have you trembling from something more sinister… or do I?" She could almost feel his smirk and her ire raised once more as she spun to face him. She was completely unarmed and in an incredibly vulnerable position but she slipped back into her old childhood ways. Taking a step towards him, she spat a verbal attack. "You know nothing of my relationship with Thor, you never did! He has led me into many battles and I trust him with my life. I cannot say the same about you!"
The hall rang with her last word and fell deathly silent, Loki and Sif nose to nose. Surprise and fear flashed in the girl's eyes as she took a step away from him, immediately dropping to her knee and bowing her head. "Please forgive me my king, I meant nothing by my words. They were spoken out of haste." She spoke to his boots, eyes downcast and fearing the worst. She would be banished like Thor, exiled for her inability to hold her tongue and for a moment she felt like weeping from frustration. A grin lit Loki's face, a sinister smile for she had played right into his hands. Years of practice had left Loki deft at navigating the waters of Sif's emotions and he knew exactly how to push her buttons—he had known with just a little encouragement that she would overstep her boundaries and he now had her at his complete disposal.
"Your imprudence is disappointing but not surprising. I could have you killed, you know. You are bound by oath to your kingdom and to your king. I am the latter and you have shown me a great deal of disrespect." Mock hurt shone through his words but the smirk never left his face. "It would not be a warrior's death you would receive, but a traitor's execution. Such a pity after all that hard work you put in…" He trailed off and watched her back heave with ragged breaths. He would get what he wanted today, after waiting for so long. "Stand, Sif."
She stood without a word, her eyes still locked onto the reflective gold of the floor with her heart nearly beating out of her chest.
"For your disrespect, I demand a kiss." On queue, her head snapped up and she locked eyes with the man she had been at war with since they were toddlers. She searched his face for any signs of chicanery, a sign that he was joking with her as he often did. It wasn't unreasonable for her to presume trickery, he was a mischief maker after all but she found none of his traditional giveaways apparent. She blinked rapidly and before she could step away to clear her mind, he reached out and placed a hand on her cheek. It was gentle, much more so than she had expected—after all the years of fights and insults, she assumed he would be rough and seeking humiliation. All she felt was the chilled weight cupping her jaw line and the intensity of his eyes on her. Whether it was the fear or something else that made her lightheaded was a moot point as the space between them closed, from there it was a mutual meeting of lips. Slowly they touched, both gingerly pressing lips together in a trial kiss but as Sif moved to pull away, Loki's hand moved behind her head and it was deepened. Although in actuality it just a moment, time seemed to stop for them and when they pulled away there was a breathlessness between them. Loki was the first to break the spell, stepping away and nodding. "Your debt has been paid."
She too nodded and without another thought she numbly exited the throne hall, leaving Loki standing in the middle to contemplate what had happened. He had intended to make her uncomfortable with his request, just a little fun to show her what its like to be completely helpless… but his plan hadn't panned out like he thought it would. Instead he was left with the memory of soft lips pressed against his and the feeling of her warmth to complement his cold. He took a deep breath and strode back to the throne, sliding into it with a genuine smile of satisfaction. He found a new favorite game.
A/N: So there you have it! I wove in some comicverse to the movieverse and I know its not entirely accurate, but I hope someone enjoys it. I saw the movie twice and both times, this pairing stood out so strongly to me. I love Loki, I think he's one of the strongest characters in the movie and entirely overlooked by a lot of people. This is supposed to be a one-shot, but we'll see what happens.