All I can say about this chapter is that man, was it fun to write, and I really enjoyed it. I know I say that about a lot of my chapters, but this was even better. Get ready for a lot of Sigyn/Loki moments and enjoy.

Loki is not mine. This story is just me paying tribute to a wonderful film and a wonderful character portrayal. It is done purely for fun and not is meant in any way for profit.

Chapter 9: Kind Teasing

Loki had stayed too long at the Observatory working. He wasn't sure why he had lost track of the time, but it was only a chance glance at the sky that he saw not only had the second sun risen, it was already hanging high in the air, directly above the realm. Excusing himself quickly, he rushed past the workers and made his way quickly to the palace. He was sure Sigyn was going to be irritated with his late arrival, and he was not in the mood to hear her scolding him.

Once in the palace, he reached his room and rushed inside, slamming the door behind him. Washing himself off quickly but vigorously, he changed into a lighter outfit of a tunic and trousers, leaving the leather vestment and small bits of armor he usually wore set aside on his bed. It was getting to be the hottest part of the day after all, and if he had to rush to get to Sigyn's home, he was not interested in being sweaty and filthy again by the time he got there because of the extra layers.

It seemed last moment when he suddenly remembered his offer last night to lend her some of his books. Feeling it would be a decent apology for being a couple hours late, he grabbed a decent sized text off of his shelf at random and made his way out of the palace and down the road as fast as he could without actually running. Still, several people had to jump out of his way, and he was sure he had heard one older god muttering about young people being into too much of a hurry.

Reaching her house, he took a few minutes to steady his breathing. Late or not, he didn't want to demean himself by admitting he had rushed over here. Especially if it meant admitting it had just been in order to avoid her getting mad at him. Granted, as late as he was, he would be surprised if he didn't get scolded at least a little bit.

Knocking on the wood sharply to announce his presence, he was surprised by a lack of an answer. Frowning, he knocked again, louder this time. Still nothing.

Had she gotten tired of waiting and had left to do something else? He cringed at the the thought. She was sure to be angry at him, and if had ever learned anything from women, it was that they did not like to be left waiting. Even Sif could get a nasty temper at being stood up, something he and his brother had learned when they had forgotten once she had asked to spar with them and had gone hunting instead.

He wasn't about to stand there like a fool, but he didn't want her to just think he had stood her up either. Showing up late was better than not at all. Looking inside of her window, he wondered if he could slip the book inside of her home and leave a note without looking suspicious to the others around her home.

Walking around the house, he made his way around the small stone wall around her home and found himself in the back yard. A garden was there, but it was more wild than anything else. Wildflowers and plants of various dark colors littered the yard with tall grass, even a few weeds. A small well was there too, along with a stone pathway and a bench against the house.

A bench that Sigyn was laying on, her hair spread over her face as the soft sound of steady breathing met his ears. He nearly rolled his eyes when he saw that she was asleep, and using a book as a pillow no less.

Hopping over the wall easily, he strode up to her, careful not to step on any of the flowers. He didn't feel quiet so guilty anymore at being late, seeing she had probably not noticed the passage of time anyway. Or had she fallen asleep waiting for him? He wasn't sure if she was the type to wait on other people or not. She could have been very patient, or maybe too flighty in her thoughts to be willing to sit around for long. Well, she had stayed with him for a week. It was probably the first.

Kneeling down on one knee beside her, he brushed her hair out of the way. She moved a little, but slept on and he found himself smiling. She reminded him of a napping kitten, looking too cute when comfortable, and almost making him feel bad for needing to wake her. Gently he laid his hand on her shoulder, shaking her a bit. A part of him wondered if she would be hot to the touch again, but she felt perfectly fine, despite the fact she had been laying down in the sunlight. He passed it off as the casket only being odd at a convenient moment and watched her as her eyes opened slowly towards him.

"Oh, Loki," she said with a smile as she sat up. "Finally here I see."

Looks like she'd known about him being late after all.

"I was working with Thor," he explained. "I lost track of time."

"I can't expect to be the only one needing your time," she replied with a shrug. "I don't take offense at how busy you are, and if it was an accident than I know you meant nothing by it. How late were you though? I started to read once I saw you weren't here at the appointed time, and I'm afraid the heat made me doze a little."

"Only by a couple of hours," he assured her. "Are you still interested in spending some time together?"

"You should know the answer to that question by now," she responded, smiling at him. "I wouldn't have asked you to come all this way if I was going to change my mind so easily. Let me get something from the house and we can be on our way."

Grabbing the book she'd been sleeping on and walking inside through her back door, she was only gone a couple minutes before she emerged again and shut the door behind her. She had a basket under one of her arms covered in a small burgundy clothe and only smiled teasingly at him when he gazed at it curiously.

"It's only some lunch, nothing bad," she assured him before peering at the book under his arm. "And what's that?"

"Oh, a book I brought along for you to borrow if you wanted," he informed her. Holding it out for her to look at, he wondered why she arched an eyebrow and gave him an odd look.

"Interesting reading material, for a prince," she said lightly. "Do you read it often?"

Curiously, he looked down at it, his eyes almost widening when he saw the title. It had been a very long time since he had flushed in embarrassment but he could feel it rising on his cheeks when he saw he had tried to hand her a book detailing the mating habits of the different species of dragons.

"Discarded dragon egg shells are incredibly powerful," he explained quickly. "I was after them once and thought the best way to collect them would be right after the hatchlings were born. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable source."

"I never said it wasn't," she informed him gently. "It's certainly one I haven't seen before. I would like to borrow it if you're still willing to lend it to me."

He was happy to see she was pleased with it, even if it had given his face an unpleasantly hot feeling. Turning away, he did his best to pretend that she wasn't doing her best to hide her laughter from behind her hands.

"Where did you want to go, anyway?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Somewhere quiet would be nice," she told him. "Why don't we go to the cliffs. There's never anyone there, and we can talk in peace."

He didn't especially mind the suggestion, so he nodded and led her out past the gate and away from her house. There were cliffs almost everywhere in Asgard really, and with so many to chose from, he had been to a few himself several times. There were several where practicing magic alone was perfect. Leading her along, he knew several easy paths to take that wouldn't leave either of them winded.

"So, you were working with Prince Thor today?" she asked him as they made their way up the grassy hills and boulders, their path only half there, patches of dirt that barely connected to each other. "What were you working on?"

"The Observatory for the the Rainbow Bridge," he informed her. "Thor wants to get back to Midgard soon. He left someone behind there that he wants to see again."

"You mean Jane Foster?" Sigyn asked almost immediately.

"How do you know about her?" Loki asked.

"I don't think there's a single person who doesn't, at least amongst the women," she said, her tone a little excited. "Everyone has been talking about how he fell in love with that mortal woman. Most believe he plans to take her back her to live as a goddess. Its been gossiped about quite a bit lately, especially since he called off his engagement with Lady Sif. I don't think I'd ever heard so much talk about him before, and that's saying something."

"If anyone could keep people entertained, it's my brother's love life," he said with a smirk. "Then again, people love to gossip about foolish romantic things like that. Often enough I've heard Fandral's name come up in conversation amongst the goddesses as well."

"Something interesting like that, who could blame them, with so little else that goes on here?" she said with a shrug. "Though I do feel for Lady Sif. I can't imagine how it must feel to have been left like that."

Loki wasn't entirely sure of that himself. Sif had never divulged a lot of her feelings with him. He wasn't sure if she loved Thor or not. He'd certainly never seen it as his business to ask, though he wondered if he should offer to lend an ear if she ever needed it. Sometimes open invitations like that went a long way.

"Their marriage was an arranged one anyway," Loki stated. "As far as I know Thor never loved her as more than a friend. I knew they were both contend with it, but it doesn't surprise me that nothing came to fruition of it. You can not just be married on contentment."

"Do you think so?" she asked, something in her eyes that seemed off somehow. She almost looked worried.

"You are swearing yourself to someone for the rest of your life," he said. "You will be with that person every day, share everything with them, be the one who will see all of their faces, the good and the bad. Marrying someone, being with them like that, it needs more than just not being objectionable to it. It would never last. Why? You surely don't think something like that is a good idea."

"People get married for many reasons, not all of them need to be love. Politics, contentment, starting a family," she said slowly. "Arranged marriages are common here, and it seems to work well enough."

"Are you hoping your marriage will work well enough?" he asked, stepping in front of her all of a sudden and blocking her from going any further.

She stared at him, looking like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. He peered at her intently, realization hitting him.

"Your engagement to Theoric, it wasn't you who said yes to the proposal, was it?" he asked. "It's arranged."

"Is that so surprising?" she asked.

"No," he said. "But a little disappointing. I would have thought a girl like you would have found a husband based on love. Especially considering what a dreamer of romance you are."

"It was my father's decision," she explained. "He didn't like me being all alone. When Theoric came to ask me for my hand, he thought it was a splendid idea that I have someone to take care of me."

"And you agreed to make your father happy?" Loki asked.

"He had good reason," she said. "Besides, Theoric is a good man. He's protecting and cares for me. He has his faults, but everyone does. I know I certainly am not perfect."

He let her pass him as she began to climb again, making his way after her.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

He had been expecting a stutter, a blush or an exclamation that it wasn't any of his business. Inquiring about love usually did that to women he'd interacted with before. She surprised him however when she just shook her head and kept climbing.

"He knows I don't love him," she said. "But I suspect that I will in time."

"And yet you'll marry him?" he asked. "What if you meet someone else down the road of your lifetime? What if you fall in love after you have given your vows and know that the only way to have that passion is to break your word to the man you promised yourself to?"

"I have been alive for centuries," she said with a shrug. "And I have met many people. None of them have sparked any fire in me, made me need so bad that my knees buckled. So many stories I've read about people needing each other so badly it hurts, and not once have I felt it myself. I've lived a lifetime that many would died, been reborn, and died all over again in and I have not met a single person that moved my soul with the emotion we call love. What are the odds I will find it at all, much less after I have married Theoric?"

It was odd to see someone so young speak as if she were an old woman, but she stated it as simple fact, as if quoting a math equation. She really didn't seem to believe there was someone out there for her, else surely she would have run into him by now.

"It still seems odd that someone like you would forsake love so easily," he said.

"Books and tales are different," she informed him. "When the most romantic thing I can find are just words on pages, maybe it isn't real as these stories would say they are, but just fantasies and nothing more."

She seemed to have thought she had won the argument on 'love', and Loki said nothing more. Her words were not bitter, more final than anything. She didn't even seemed resigned to her fate. Was she really marrying just because it was convenient? Perhaps she really thought she would come to love Theoric, or maybe she just didn't care. It was honestly difficult to tell.

Soon afterward, they reached the top of the cliffs. Sitting down, she peeled the clothe back and revealed the food she had packed. Bread and cheese along with a knife and cutting board, there was also some fruit and a dusty bottle of wine with two clay mugs.

"Hungry?" she asked him before he sat down as well. He had been working for a while, and a meal did sound good to him. Handing her the book, he set to slicing the cheese and breaking off bits of bread for them before pouring the wine in both of the mugs. Taking a sip, he almost laughed when he saw she'd already opened the book and had begun to read.

"Most would find it insulting that you would prefer a text over them," he informed her, poking her shoulder gently. "Were you really after my books the whole time."

"Please. I could have just read them while you were asleep," she said, her eyes trailing over the words. "Besides, it does look interesting. I'm just curious."

Leaning back so that he was almost laying out on the grass, he just chuckled and ate as he watched her. For her credit, she wasn't entirely absorbed in the book, merely flipping through pages and eating small bits of food as she did. He didn't find it uncomfortable either, just letting her read as she wished.

"It's a little ragged," she said honestly after a bit of time, seeing the folded pages he'd done to mark spots and where he had scrawled on the pages with a pen, writing some notes on different dragons. She was tactful enough not to point out how several of the illustrations were clean and crisp. She wondered if perhaps he had taken care of those part of the book for more than professional interest and giggled. She doubted very much he was prudish and had refused to look.

"I've had it for a while," he said. "I think I bought it when I was a teenager. Honestly, I haven't looked at in a while."

"Draconis is spelled wrong," she said all of a sudden.

"What?" he asked, sitting up.

"Draconis is spelled wrong," she repeated and showed him the book. He narrowed his eyes when he saw one of his notes, and had in fact spelled it with a 'k' instead. If he recalled correctly, that had been when he'd been out actually looking for egg shells, a rather rushed experience considering how nasty freshly mothering dragons were. It wasn't best to stay in one location too long.

"Keep in mind I said I first got it when I was a teenager," he reminded her. "Besides, I was writing those notes rather quickly."

"I see," she teased before the book promptly got taken out of her hands and he bopped her over the head with it. It wasn't terribly hard, but she pouted anyway. "Meany."

"Perfectionist," he countered.

"Hardly," she said. "In fact, I think I'm rather imperfect."

"I suppose it would depend in regards to what. You certainly seem very loyal, and keeping your word is rather important to you. When it comes to things like that, you don't seem to budge. It's a worthy enough quality."

"Yes, but I am the goddess of bonds," she said. "It sort of comes with the territory."

"We are granted our titles based on who we are," he corrected. "We don't act a certain way just because we are the god or goddess of something. That logic is completely backwards. Do you think I am the god of mischief just because, and that I act accordingly to live up to the title?"

"No, I think act that way because you think it's funny."

"See, and I earned the title because of who I am," he said. "It's the same with you."

"That is a very good point," she conceded.

"I know it is. It's why I said it."

She frowned and playfully hit his shoulder, to which he just snatched up her hand in his own and growled playfully at her.

"It's not polite to hit," he snarled gently, baring his teeth.

"You hit me just a moment ago," she argued.

"I'm Loki. I'm allowed to get away with it."

"That's not fair."

"I rarely am."

"And that's circular logic."

"Cute how you make the assumption that I care," he told her.

She only glared at him.

"You realize now I have to punish you," he warned, drawing closer and refusing to let go of her hand.

"Oh? And just how do you intend to do that?" she demanded.

He only grinned before yanking her close against him. She let out a gasp of surprise before his fingers danced down her side, causing her to shriek in laughter.

"Loki! Loki, stop!" she cried out as he tickled her. "No! Please, I beg you! Mercy!"

He didn't relent, causing her to fall over on the ground in her laughter. It wasn't until she was kicking and beating on the ground as she struggled to breath before he finally stopped and let her be, her chest heaving as she clutched her stomach. He peered wickedly down at her and she blushed, looking up at him as he leaned over her, both of his hands planted on the ground on either side of her head.

"Loki," she breathed.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"You're a very mean person."

"And you're perfect," he countered. "A perfect target."

She pouted, an adorable look. He was reminded of a child who wasn't getting their way but instead of looking mad, was only making their parent coo at the strong levels of cuteness they were radiating off of them by accident. It was a dangerous look for women, he knew. It often got them their way with the men that were smitten with them.

Too bad for her he wasn't smitten. In fact, the look only made teasing her all the more fun.

Moving to let her sit up, he set the book aside with the promise she could have it once they were done. Eating, he was careful to make sure she didn't do anything to his food in order to get back at him. Idle chit-chat passed the hours, talking about nothing important but it being enrapturing conversation anyway. Nothing was left of the food but crumbs and the wine was long since gone, but they stayed anyway, just enjoying each others company.

She told him a little bit of her childhood, her mother teaching her how to garden, though she'd never been very good at it, and how her father had often worked in his own rooms of the house, it being his own personal work station, but how he had often taken breaks to spend time with her. She even showed him a small scar on her forearm that had come from getting too close while he had been hammering away at hot metal, unaware she was so close until sparks had hit her bare skin.

Loki didn't talk as much about himself, listening mostly to her stories. He did however recall a few times when he'd been younger, when he had first discovered he was gifted in magic, shifting almost on instinct into another child when he'd been in trouble for tricking Thor into painting on their mother's favorite drapes. He'd been hiding both from his father and older brother who was angry at the spanking he'd received at Loki's idea. Loki hadn't even known he had done the shape shifting. He'd been almost surprised when Thor had come up to him and called him Hogun instead of by his real name. A look in the mirror must have broken whatever concentration he'd had to do it, and a second later he was Loki all over again, much to the surprise of himself and his brother.

"And how long did it take the black eye to heal?" she asked teasingly.

"Ha. You assume he could actually catch me long enough to hit me," he scoffed before looking up at the sky. It was starting to get rather dark. "We should go. We should get back soon."

"So it is," she said, sounding a little surprised. "I didn't realize so much time had gone by."

"It was a nice way to spend the last half of the day," he told her with a smile.

"Promise we'll do it again sometime?" she asked.

"You trust me to keep my word?"

She seemed to think about it.

"I can't think of a reason you'd lie to me about something so small," she said with a shrug. "So I suppose, yes. I do trust you."

"Lesser people have eaten those words," he warned her jokingly.

"Do you promise or not?" she asked him insistently.

"Yes, yes. Of course I do," he told her. "I can't tomorrow. I have things I've been putting off, but how about the day after? We can meet here again."

"After the second sun has risen?"

"After the second sun has risen," he repeated in agreement.

"Good," she said softly before leaning in close. The whiff of a faint perfume met his nose as she smiled gently at him. "Please don't be late again."

He watched her walk down the path, basket swinging off her arm and the book held tightly to her chest. He considered walking her home, but honestly he felt more comfortable staying behind. Laying back down on the grass, he looked up at the starry sky, thinking strange thoughts about happy giggles and soft skin.

It almost seemed a shame it was all going to be wasted on a man who couldn't even be good enough to earn her love.

End of Chapter 9

Writing platonic scenes between a man and a woman who you know are going to end up in love is a little tough. I wanted there to be sparks of little things between them, but nothing terribly noticeable to them. They've still only known each other for a short while and are on the level of friendship, but when I looked over this finished product I was very pleased with it. I think it'll give you readers happy thoughts, without pushing them too quickly.

Of course Loki would have to argue with her about love though. I doubt he's had many passionate encounters himself, but trust him to play devil's advocate. He might have argued against the foolishness of love if she had insisted getting married for that reason was a good one, just to be able to disagree and annoy her. Still, it might have been a bit more personal than he's allowing himself to admit.

Then again, maybe not. Who knows?