This was written for the Halloween tasertricks exchange on tumblr. Darcy and Loki are the same age here.

There is a realm called Midgard. They are without magic and their life span is incredibly limited compared to the other races in the nine realms. At one time they knew of us, but those days have long been forgotten, and we are nothing but a myth to them. While the Bifrost is one way into Midgard, there is a time of year called All Hallow's Eve that the mortals celebrate to commemorate their dead. This straddle between life and death causes a rift between the barriers that connect the two realms, and it is possible to visit Midgard without the Bifrost. However, this requires powerful magic and a sigil is needed…

Loki closed the book with quiet contemplation as he traced his finger along the ancient pages.

Midgard. The only realm unbeknownst to him other than the causal reading and lessons he partook in. His father forbid him and Thor from ever visiting—Asgard swore to stay out of their business after the battle between Jotunheim, and that was well before his time.

At the age of seventeen, he was already quite skilled in magic. Corporeal versions of himself were still undergoing study, but teleporting was one of the first things he learned besides basic spells.

And as much as hated to admit, curiosity got the best of him. He knew that Thor wouldn't dare venture to Midgard unless they sought a fight, but from his studies he gathered that they were a rather primitive race with little defense. They would be doomed if they happened to make contact with the other realms.

Not only would this be the perfect opportunity to practice his magic, he would hopefully be able to cause some mischief in the process. He wasn't called the God of Mischief and lies for nothing, and his pranks and jests were growing tiresome with the court and his family. And he was only seventeen—how would they be able to take another millennia or two?

Closing the book and placing it back onto his shelf, Loki decided to find when All Hallow's Eve was supposed to take place. Time between realms varied immensely, but at least the sages had developed a way to track the varying times.

It was a clever contraption; it was built of metal and jewels. Each realm had its own strip of metal in a half dome shape. If you aligned one, the rest would follow, and the year and the dates would read on the center table.

"The thirty-first of October," Loki mused, pressing his palm against the calendar. The words were strange on his tongue, but he found it under Midgard's calendar. With a few swipes, the device began to move with an old creak and came to a sudden stop after a minute. He looked to Asgard's alignment, and a feral grin graced his lips. It was tomorrow.

The sigil he needed to draw proved to be more complex than Loki originally fathomed, as he shook the chalk from his palms. A large circle was drawn in the center of his room filled with different symbols in the center with a few branching out.

A knock sounded at his door, causing him to jump. "Loki? Is everything alright; you've been in your room for hours!" Just his mother, he thought with a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine, mother. I've been reading a good book, but I'm just about to finish. I think I shall be heading to bed soon."

"You're so studious," he heard her say as her footsteps echoed against the floor in the opposite direction.

Loki casted a stronger lock spell and a muffling spell for good measure, and then he stepped into the center of the sigil. Breathe. Cast. Breathe again. It should be simple, except that there was no spell for this. But teleporting had no spell either and he figured that out in his early years.

Closing his eyes, he outstretched his palms and felt himself evaporate into the in between; the space he usually went to when teleporting. The usual path into Asgard was still there, but he felt another tug—another path.

Following that, he sucked in a breath as he let himself fall, and with another lurch, he landed.

The first thing he noticed was that the air was strange here. The wind blew in every direction, carrying scents of sugar and a pungency that he couldn't place. The second thing he noticed was that everyone was dressed in a very strange fashion, but he supposed that was to be expected.

Headgear was popular here too, he surmised as he spotted a boy with a tan hat wielding rope. A girl followed closely behind him in a brightly colored dress with a crown. So they had royalty here too.

The decorations on Midgard were tacky, he had to admit. A strange material adorned their abode's that lit up. Perhaps this was payment to their gods? He did recognize one thing, and that was a pumpkin, but it was carved in a hideous fashion. Did they squander food easily here?

He felt a thud on his leg, and he whipped around with a strong velocity, dagger in hand. These mortals were weak—they wouldn't bat an eyelash before they could lay another hand on him!

"Sorry, mister." Stopping himself before he could make contact, he observed the creature that touched him. A child.

"Your costume is awesome, but what are you supposed to be?" She held a pillowcase that was much bigger than her body, filled with food. He eyed it with interest, but returned to her question. Costume? He did not believe he stood out that much in comparison to what the other Midgardian's wore. However, he decided to humor the child. Perhaps they've heard of him.

"I am Loki, God of Mischief and Lies," he said, but only received a blank look.

"What's that?" She asked, and his forehead creased in frustration.

"Ava! I heard this house was giving out huge candy bars, hurry up!" Another child called, and the girl's interest quickly shifted away from him. She darted away and ran to a house with enthusiasm. Loki watched with interest, carefully following her.

They rang a button on the door, causing a Midgardian adult to emerge with a bag of food.

"TRICK OR TREAT!" They cried out, holding open their bags. The man smiled and handed each of them a bar and waved goodbye.

Were these mortals that pathetic that they had their children beg for food? Loki mused in wonder and amusement.

"Hey buddy, you trick or treating or are you with the kids?" The same man called out to him. Trick. Hm. What did that entail? He thought in delight. However, curiosity got the better of him again and he decided to play it safe before making a more daring move.

"Ah…Treat?" He ventured and the man gestured for him to come closer.

"Pick whatever you like."

Loki looked down at the display of confections, each with a boldly printed label that meant nothing to him.

"What do you suggest?"

"Well my personal favorite is Reese's, but they're all pretty good. Hershey's company, you know? Though a lot of people can't stand Almond Joy…"

Swiping the bar labeled "Reese's," Loki said a quick word of thank you and made his way down the street again. Ripping open the cover, he devoured it in a singular bite.

He had to admit the taste was unique. He wasn't a fan of sweet things, but whatever was in the center was actually enjoyable. Throwing the wrapper on the ground, he decided to find his next target to observe.

"Darcyyyy! We're going to be late, hurry up!"

"I'm coming! Can you help me fasten the cape?"

"Sure. You know, I'm loving this Evil Queen look. I almost wish I was Snow White so we could match."

Darcy laughed whilst applying a red lipstick. "I can't help that Once Upon a Time inspired me. Queen Regina is one bad ass. And besides," she adjusted the fabric against her chest. "It's not every day I get to show these off."

"Do you think Paul will be at the party?" Her friend asked conspiringly, and Darcy swatted her away.

"I told you. I'm over him. There are going to be a ton of people at this party anyway, so I'll look for my next victim."

"With that costume, it'll be easy."

"I know," Darcy replied with a wink and took her hand. "Now let's go, the night is still young!"

Loki found himself in the presence of teenage Midgardians. They seemed to be dancing to obnoxiously loud music (he hardly considered jumping up and down dancing) and they almost looked like they were about to mate in public! He had his share of flirtations in Asgard, but this was unsightly and vulgar in every way.

Despite this, he was intrigued by the new environment. He gathered that the attire was for All Hallow's Eve, or as they liked to call it, Halloween. He caught glimpses of their normal clothing from the pictures in this boy's house, but he was quickly shoved aside by the moving crowd.

"Hey, cool costume."

Turning around, he came face to face with a girl. He carefully observed her, eyes widening slightly as he reached her chest. She smirked in response and crossed her arms.

"I'm digging the horns. Are you supposed to be some rock star Satan?" The words flew by his head, but he could hear the complimentary tone and grinned in response.

"Your selection in apparel is…Pleasing as well." The girl stepped closer and traced her hand down his shoulder.

"Real leather? Nice."

Well, he understood that. "But of course. Ah, where are my manners? I am Loki of Asgard."

That threw her off slightly as she cocked an eyebrow. "Loki? Wow your parents must've been Norse mythology freaks—No offense. It suits you." She removed the hand from his shoulder and extended it out towards him. "I'm Darcy. I don't think I've seen you around before. Do you go to the other high school?"

He stared at the hand in confusion. "I'm afraid not. I don't attend school."

"Home schooled, then?" A wicked grin spread across her face. "Wait. Is this your first party?"

"I suppose so," he replied with a shrug, growing more entertained. Before he could say anything else, he found himself pulled into the fray of the dancing group with Darcy throwing her arms around his neck. He flinched at the contact, never being this close with a girl before, but he didn't pull away.

"I'm not very good at this!" he shouted over the music. Darcy paid no mind and continued to move against him.

"Hey sweetie." Darcy's face fell as she spotted her ex walking towards her. Her grip tightened around Loki as she glared.

"I'm a little busy right now," she said, nodding her head to Loki who looked uncomfortable but rolling with it. Go her for choosing a naïve guy to party with. Not that she minded—He was unbelievably hot and the naivety was kinda cute.

"With this freak?" He said, breaking them apart. "Nice costume by the way. I've missed this." He proceeded to run a sleazy hand down her cheek and she swiped it away.

"Go away, Paul. I told you, we're over. Now if you'll excuse me, I was dancing with my date." Throwing Loki an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, Loki. I should really stop dating assholes who can't respect people's personal space."

Loki chuckled. "It's quite alright."

"Uhm, not really," Paul replied cutting in between them. "Babe, I'm sorry. Why don't we go upstairs and talk about—"

"No," Darcy quipped, but Paul continued to advance towards her, placing his meaty hands on her arms.

"Get off of me!" She yelled, squirming. Damn wrestling arms.

Paul's expression turned from savage to utter terror as he dropped Darcy immediately. Eyes turning into saucers, he began to cry out.

"What the hell are those doing in here?! GET THEM OFF OF ME!" Everyone stopped to stare and erupted into laughter. Paul was currently shaking and side stepping on the floor.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" He cried out, and the laughter continued. "Can't you all see the snakes?!" He scraped against his arms in horror.

"That guy is so high," someone said through snickers and he started to run for the door, still screaming. People began to put their phones away, and mutters of putting it on Facebook could be heard. Darcy, albeit confused, was happy and laughing with everyone else. It wasn't until the gossip died down that Darcy noticed Loki smirking in satisfaction.

"It's always nice to see bullies be put in their place, right?"

"Indeed. I believe the term in this realm is trick or treat, and that was a trick."

Darcy laughed. "Realm? And I think the explanation is too much LSD. Though that would be a fuck awesome trick."

Loki looked delighted. "And what would you say if I was the one who administered that trick?"

"You're joking—unless you slipped some drugs into his drink, but there's no way you could've known."

"I am not 'joking' but if you insist."

Darcy looked unflappable as she ran her eyes up and down Loki. He was being weird, or maybe he was some stalker, but if he was the one who scared Paul away it was…Strangely sweet. And heroic.

"Let's say you did do it. Can you explain to me how?" He looked around them and gestured to the busy crowd. They were already pretty much shouting so that he could hear each other.

"If you have someplace more private, then yes."

"Okay." She took his hand and guided him down the hallway and they stopped at a door. She knocked twice, waiting for a response.

"There's no one in there if you guys want to use it," a girl said, walking past with a devilish gleam in her eye.

"If anyone asks, we're playing Seven Minute in Heaven," Darcy said to the girl, opening the door and shoving him into the closet. Loki looked a bit perturbed as Darcy shut the door behind her and squatted on the floor. They were enveloped in darkness, so Darcy tried to flick the switch on the singular light bulb that was supposed to illuminate the tiny space, but it was broken.

"It's okay, we don't need light to talk. So fess up—how did you do it?"

Loki squirmed against the box he was currently sitting on. Although he couldn't see Darcy, they were close enough so that they could hear each other's breathing.

"Magic," he simply said, knowing that the mortals didn't believe in it anymore. Darcy started to laugh and he heard the shifting of crinoline from her skirt.

"If you say so. What does that make you, then? Wizard? Warlock? Sorcerer?"

So she was playing along with him, he thought wryly. "My people would call me a sorcerer, but since I'm a prince, that overshadows it quite a bit."

More laughter. He couldn't tell if she was mocking him or actually humored by his words.

"Prince Loki. That has a nice ring to it. You said you were from Asgard, right? Does that mean you'll be king one day?"

His throat tightened. "No…That would be my brother."

"What's his name?"

"Thor," he said tersely.

"Of course it's Thor," Darcy said, throwing her head back in giggles. Noticing the shift in atmosphere, she said gently, "Hey, you okay?"

This was beginning to get uncomfortable. He knew he could leave at any moment—erase the girl's memories, torture her, do anything, but for some reason he found a strange solace in sitting with her in this encapsulated space.

"Yes, I'm fine. Do you wish to leave this area now since I've revealed my secret?" His last words were playful, resuming the tone they had previously.

"Nah. I actually like it." His mute confusion must've said enough, so she proceeded. "I know I come off as a party girl, but it does get old fast. And besides, quiet time is nice."

"And you wish to spend that with me?" He ventured.

"I like you," she responded bluntly, making his cheeks flush. Thank goodness they were cloaked in darkness.

"You're thoughtful. But funny. And if you really did save me from Paul, that's probably the sweetest thing anyone has done for me."

"Darcy, what if I told you we can go somewhere else that is…quiet?"

"Hm?"

"But you have to promise me that you'll close your eyes."

"Oh. Sure," she said softly. He took a step closer to her, and took her hand.

"Please don't be frightened." In truth, he had no idea what the effects of teleporting would be on a mortal, but he assumed that as long as she held onto him it would be fine.

"Okay." And because they were so close, he could feel her intake a breath and the upturn of her lips.

"You can open them now."

Darcy gasped in amazement as she looked back and forth between her and Loki. They were currently in her local park. It was late, so the only people around were teenagers, but the round lamps illuminated the park enough to see around them.

"This has to be a dream," she said quickly, pacing back and forth and touching the fence and benches to make sure they were real.

"I can assure you it's not."

Her blue eyes were wide, but she was smiling, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know…I thought you were going to do something else," she bemused, playing with the ends of her skirt.

Now that he could see her in proper light, the air got caught in his throat and she advanced towards him.

"It's your turn to close your eyes." Even though he would scoff at being ordered by a mortal, he acquiesced.

Her hands took his own, and her frame leaned into his. He knew what to expect, and he didn't at the same time as her lips brushed against his.

Was he surprised? Gods, yes. But he wasn't unhappy and his stomach fluttered with excitement as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer, and returning her kiss lightly. A sudden realization struck him.

"That was my first kiss," he said breathlessly, breaking apart.

Darcy grinned coyly. "Can I be your second?"

Lips meeting, she smiled against him as he took a hand and stroked it against her hair. The touch was gentle, almost afraid, but eager. Darcy knew this was probably too soon, but she wanted to see how he would react as she slipped in a little bit of tongue. Loki froze, and she wondered if he thought it was disgusting and the heat rose up in embarrassment.

Before she could break away, however, Loki met her and returned it with more fire than her own. For someone who's never kissed before, he was pretty good at it.

With both of them nearly breathless, they broke apart and sat down a nearby bench. She curled up next to him, and rested her head against his shoulder while he draped an arm around her.

"That was…pleasant," he concluded, and she snorted.

"I think the proper term is really-freaking-amazing. Are you sure that was your first kiss or were you trying to be romantic? I promise I won't get mad."

Laughing sheepishly, "That was the truth. I'm afraid it's my brother who usually spends time with women."

"Well then," Darcy appreciated, looking him over and sneaked in a quick kiss on his cheek.

He took her hand and they sat watching the stars. Occasionally he would ask questions about Midgard, attempting to keep his lack of knowledge hidden, but she didn't seem to notice or care. Instead, they talked about themselves. Apparently reading was a well-liked hobby in every realm, and Darcy said that she would have to take him to this vintage bookshop in the next town over.

Her communication device sounded, and she threw him an apologetic look as she answered it. Clicking it shut, he noticed the time stamp on the front, and his stomach dropped immediately. It was 11:55.

"Darcy, I—"

"I have to go, actually. My parents are getting worried and they want me home before all the crazies come out. But my house is right down the block. Will you walk me home?"

Pulling her up by their joined hands, she led him down the stony path. The wind picked up and the autumn chill was settling in, so she huddled against him, letting his cape engulf her.

They stopped at a brick red door with a single porch light. "Well, this is it. Thanks for the awesome night. Oh—" She reached into her purse and took out a pen. Removing their hands, she jotted down her number onto his arm. "Call me tomorrow, okay?" He nodded mutely. He was too much of a coward to say that he wouldn't be back. Or at least not until next year.

"Okay." And he pulled her in by waist for another kiss, letting his lips guide him until he became painfully aware of the time.

"Goodnight," he said quietly and she smiled in return as she opened the door. "Wait!" He said suddenly, and she turned around. "I want you to have this." His hand was behind his back, so he fabricated a necklace on the spot. He brought it up to her and placed it into her palm. It was a green gem with a simple leather tie, but her face exploded into a huge smile.

"Oh Loki…You really don't have to. We haven't even gone on a date yet!"

"Just take it," he pleaded and she reached down from her porch to kiss him again. After a final smile, she closed the door and disappeared into her house. Knowing that he only had a minute, he mustered up all his strength and magic and vanished from Midgard.

"You're looking pleased today, brother. Did something happen last night? Did a maiden visit you?" Loki nearly choked on his drink and threw Thor a dirty look. Thankfully his mother was out of earshot.

"No," he responded tersely, and resumed eating.

"You must have been up all night reading again! What language this time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Thor."

"Why are you so ashamed? The runes from your note taking are still etched on your arm!" Thor chuckled at his brother's foolishness, but Loki wasn't paying attention to Thor anymore. He looked at his arm and smiled fondly. Conjuring a piece of parchment, he transferred the numbers over and tucked it away. Perhaps next year.

xxxx

I had so much fun writing this! A huge thank you and shout out to artabria for giving me such a cool prompt!