Waking up is a pain.

To Loki "hangover ", is an elusive, farfetched concept. Never in his whole life has he experienced the said disaster. Growing up in a family fond of consumable ethanol helped build his resistance. Long story short, he can actually hold his alcohol pretty well.

Anyway, the sun is glaring rather intensively through his closed eyelids. He's far too lazy to use voice command to close the curtains and so he opts to roll on his stomach and burry his face into his fluffy pillows.

An unknown arm wraps around his torso.

An unknown leg brushes up his thigh.

Loki Odinson's eyes snap open.

Two bodies- both, women, thankfully- are wrapped around him. One is dark-haired and the other is golden haired.


Of Burdens and Glorious Purposes

Chapter 3

That Metaphorical Stark- oops- I mean, "Spark"

"You know, I still can't believe that you crashed into my party- my BIRTHDAY party- with two escorts", Anthony Stark downs the entire flute of chardonnay in one go. He needs something stronger. "Seriously Loks..? Angrboda Jotnar and Sigyn Vanir?"

The Odinson businessman frowns at his friend's big mouth. He needs to learn how to shut up and when to shut up. Thank the heavens the two of them are technically safe, away from prying ears at the center of the function hall. To the rest of the people in the hall, they look like two business partners- who also happen to be the best of friends- discussing the next step of their bountiful partnership.

"Frigga will be seething… she'll be fuming… she'll be raging-"

"Thank you very much for exhibiting your proficiency in the English language, Stark. You've just given me three fundamentally like-meaning words of varying intensity."

"-have you actually met your mother, Loks?!"

"I actually came from her womb. If I can correctly reminisce, I met her first."

"Should I just come back later? It seems you guys are busy talking about the female reproductive system." The two (grown) businessmen freeze. They know that voice quite well. This sunuvabitch decided he could just up, go and not show his bearded face for months. Well, not that he did that on purpose. Not to their knowledge anyway…

"Where've you been Steffy?!" Tony Stark claps the neurosurgeon's shoulders. A wide grin lights up his childish face as the older man attempts to slug him in retaliation.

"Stop the idiotic nicknames, Stark.-"

"Go convince him Strange." –Loki.

"-At thirty-six, you should now act like every bit of the grown man you are… not like that pimply pre-pubescent boy who's only good for his IQ." Nothing has changed in Dr. Stephen Strange. Not his beard. Not his extremely frank, no non-sense and harsh way of knocking down the billionaire.

"I was NEVER a pimply, pre-pubescent boy."

Loki snorts at his defensiveness.

"Shut up Odinson. You were lanky and incredibly pale as a teenager, you practically looked like a goth-punk post-breakup. You were so fond of black-"

And… Stephen just has to cut it there, right THERE… with one of those extremely formal coughs- a clearing of his throat.

It wouldn't have stopped Anthony Stark's infamous blabbermouth. But the presence of a pixy-like young woman beside their surgeon friend promptly shuts him up, and lunches him into another one of his disgusting casa nova tirades.

"Why hello there, Miss..? I bet you've heard all about me…" Stark smiles… crookedly.

The girl merely gives him a polite smile, completely confused of what he's talking about. Tony waits for the fangirling… for the shrieking. Moments… he waits some more. Seconds… he waits some more. A minute… he waits some more. "Seriously? You don't know me?!"

The girl gives him an apologetic look then shifts her brown eyes at Stephen Strange. There it is… the shine of admiration.

"Dr. Strange?" she grins. "Dr. Stephen Strange?"

"Yeah…" Steffy looks a bit baffled. "That would be me."

"Oh my gosh! It is so nice to meet you! I'm Jane Foster. I work in Genetics at the same hospital you work in? I've read your work in neuro and… I am just… I'm seriously tearing up right now!"

So doctors can over-react..? Loki observes the girl. She's really a doctor? She looks far too young and… far too small. She looks like a little girl right now, vibrating of excitement. Oh look… she's shaking Stephen's hand really fast. The doctor looks… amused?

"Well… I'm flattered-"

"Jane! You ran off again..! God, I was introducing you to- Why hello Stephen." It's Darcy Lewis. She knows Darcy Lewis? This is bound to be interesting. The busty goddaughter sides the petite doctor. Then it adds up. Darcy is an intern at the hospital this Jane Foster and Steffy are working in. She also mentioned during one of their dinners that she's rooming with a diminutive, far-too-young-to-graduate doctor with a bad habit of skipping meals.

"Darcy! You know this lovely lady?" Stark cuts in.

"We're roomies!" Darcy explains, slinging her arm round Jane's neck. "Boss, this is my godfather… the birthday boy, Anthony Stark. That sour looking goth-punk post-breakup is his 'bestfriend'… you know, the one who had the nerve to arrive with two escorts? Loki Odinson. And I see you've already made a fool of yourself around Dr. Strange."

Jane reddens at the last statement.

Stark grins.

"Not at all", denies Strange.

Odinson frowns at Darcy's introduction of him. Apparently, before he could even make an adequate impression to the young doctor, his entrance already made a lasting one to her.

"Ms. Lewis, must you mention that?" he asks, raising his own chardonnay. He needs an intermission, not courage. If he does need courage, he would have called a server and ordered something stronger.

"Well Doc here was pretty pissed at your face for arriving SHAMELESSLY with two models on tow. Seriously? Angrboda Jotnar and Sigyn Vanir? You are so dead after this party if you haven't secured me an autograph and a selfie yet… especially from Sigyn. Sigyn is a goddess. You must not corrupt her.

How could he forget about the massive fandom the golden blonde has amassed, especially from the female population?

"I already did", he smirks. Not.

"Oh good. I forgive you."

So this is what Stark had to put up for the past two decades or so?

"What about Doctor Foster here?" he shifts his gaze to the delightful brunette in modest white dress. "Will an autograph and a selfie afford me of a chance to start anew?"

Jane looks at him steely. Cold sweat blooms out of the back of his neck.

"No?"

"Apparently my friend, she prefers a moment with Doctor Strange here more than anything else. Let us leave her at that", Stark steers him away from the group. Darcy dribbles her fingers in an annoying good bye with a smug look on her face. Eat that loser.

Reaching the far end of the ballroom, Tony withdraws his hand from his back and faces him fully. "You just lost the first round."

He frowns, "What?"

"You must retreat for now and let the whole thing coalesce for a while. Currently, she's more interested on Stephen."

"What the hell are you talking about, Stark?!"

"I felt it. The spark… I'm going to tell Frigga", and he turns to go.

Loki stops him with a pull of his arm. He hisses, "There was NO spark. And you are not telling anyone about anything."


And yeah... I'm back. I've been terribly busy. I know... I know... not an excuse.

So I'll be doing this shameless plug. I've started publishing my original story in Wattpad, the title is "VILLAINS" under the same penname. Do try to check it out.

story/94098523-villains