The 'I Said' Game
Question: Is the Bifröst confused or does it just not want to take sides?
Heimdall shifted slightly from staring out into the realms to gazing back at the bridge he guarded. He took a short breath, pulled his sword-key to the right and closed his eyes.
"I was under the impression that you opened only for me." his voice rumbled into the empty air around him.
The Bifröst felt embarrassed. "So I experimented, everyone's done it at least once!"
"With Loki?" he asked, opening his eyes.
"Of course not! I'm a bridge not a fangirl." The rainbow colors seemed to blush together and Heimdall turned back to the expanse of space.
"You wouldn't experiment with Laufey, would you?" he whispered.
Laughing nervously, the Bifröst shook. "Of course I didn't."
Heimdall spun in shock. "What?"
"I said, I wouldn't think of it."
Whistling, Thor walked into the dining hall. His brother, Loki, was sitting alone, eating.
"Loki, what are you doing alone?" he asked, stepping to the open seat across from his brother.
"Hoping you will die."
Thor frowned, not hearing the mumbled comment. "What?"
Loki's green eyes glanced upward and he cleared his throat. "I said, do you want some pie?"
Laughing and sitting, the God of Thunder nodded. "Oh! Well, yes, thank you. I thought you said you wanted me to..."
"Die?"
"What?" A deep frown buried into Thor's forehead and he swept his blond locks behind his ears.
"Fly. I was thinking that I haven't seen you fly in a while. I used to cheer you on when we were young."
"Yes. Maybe after supper." he shook his head. "You should really stop mumbling, dear brother, it's disconcerting." he coughed into his hand. "Just like a wimp."
"What?"
"I said, would you like a sip? This wine is good."
Loki chuckled and took a cup. He sipped from it and nodded at the taste. "You are right, it is good. I...I should be going."
"See you then, brother."
Later at the Bifröst.
"Good day, Heimdall. All's well, I hope?" Loki stepped up to the stoic guardian and gazed out into space.
"All is well. Is there a reason for your visit?" the deep baritone wafted over to his mischievous ears and Loki grinned.
"Not in particular. A whim, I suppose." he answered.
"A whim? It must be unsavory."
"Oh? Why would you say so?"
Heimdall did nothing more than blink as he answered. "Nothing concerning you is savory."
Turning his face away, Loki muttered, "That's not what the Bifröst said last night."
"What?"
"I said, let us not fight."
"Hmm, wise. You would not win." Heimdall shifted to his left foot.
"What?"
"I said, peace is a trait of Odin."
Nodding, Loki responded. "Ah, yes...yes it is."
"Been touched by a Frost Giant lately?"
"What?"
"I said, I remember you as a baby."
"Interesting."
"Yes, you used to be blue."
"What?"
"I said, I thought much of you."
"What do you think now?"
"I detest you."
Pulling off his horned helmet, Loki tucked his hair behind his ears and sighed. "I can't hear a thing in there."
"I said, I have the same view."
Smiling, Loki patted the guardian on the arm, he did not move. "Lovely speaking with you."
"And with you."
At a Waterfall.
Sif stared at the mass of water falling to a pool about twenty feet below the bridge she stood on. Footsteps echoed out to her left and she watched that space from the corner of her eye.
"Daydreaming of Thor?" The shadow mumbled but she wasn't sure if she heard correctly.
"Speak up, Loki, the water is loud." she called out, knowing the feel in the air when the mischievous brother appeared. It was so different from Thor.
"I said, sight-seeing some more?" the dark hair threw off rainbow colors in the light of the setting sun as he separated from the darkness.
"More?"
"You've been standing silent near many different places like this one, lately."
She stood fully, giving her arms a break from resting on the stone railing. "Have you been stalking me?"
"Stalking? Is that what one calls observation?" he almost seemed to melt into the light and drifted gracefully over to her. If she had had half as much grace as a child, no man would have challenged her, but then she wouldn't have had so much fun.
"It seems odd that you would grant me so much of your attention. Isn't the throne more important?"
He chuckled and she had to force herself to not smile in return. "Aren't you just clever?"
"And strong. I could..."
"Best me? Best Thor? Please, I would love to hear of all the things you can do."
"I don't have to bandy words with you, Loki. Everyone knows you're second best."
"What?" he asked, arching a brow as he glanced at her.
"I said, I do not really think this is a test. Can you survive one day without confrontation and games?" He had taken her place at the railing and she stepped to her right and further away from him. She had hugged him once, but he had been young and crying then. Trying to hug this Loki was like hugging a Frost Giant with a broken toe.
"What fun is the world without these things? You're too uptight. There's no need to be a such bitch."
"What?" she said, narrowing her eyes. She thought she had heard...
"I said, it's nothing a few laughs couldn't fix." he met her eyes with such confidence she almost believed him, but Sif wasn't a fool.
She reached out and smacked the back of his head with cobra-like speed. "Don't try to play 'I said' with me, Loki. I split your lip last time."
"And blacked Thor's eye." he added, smirking through a flinch of pain.
"But who cried more?"
"Fandral. Remember you swung at me and missed, shaving off one side of his hair. He wept for days."
She couldn't help but to laugh. "Hogun knocked the pheasant out of Volstagg's mouth, which hit my shield and rebounded onto your cloak."
"I could never get the grease out." he sighed, she scoffed.
"Liar. It took you no longer than four seconds to throw a fit and magically fix it, but then you got serious and wouldn't play anymore."
"My image matters to me."
"Could have fooled me." she muttered.
"What?" he asked, standing straight.
"I said, that can't be easy." she stared at the waterfall to quell a smirk when he nodded and finally pressed his mussed hair back down.
"Anyone with half a sense would have trouble, not that you would know."
She narrowly avoided smacking him again. "What now, Loki?"
"I said, I think I should go. Leave you to your water and fantasies."
Sif did smack him then, but her hand met air and he reappeared five feet over, back near the shadow.
"Nice try, darling, but no luck." he was so full of himself.
"Whatever. Go back and hit on Thor, littlest brother."
"What?"
"I said, hold the door, I'm going to go speak with your mother."
"Ah," he muttered, pulling the door open for her. "and what will you tell her?"
"That, Loki, is none of your business."
"Let me guess, how to capture Thunder?" he laughed at her, but she kept a straight face.
"Why, I thought that was your dream, not mine." he stopped in his tracks and she sped up, laughing loudly as she went.