Loki had been at Sigyn's house for nearly a month now, and she was quite content. For his part, he showed no signs of leaving. In fact, every day he came up with another sensible reason as to why he really needed to stay. She never let him see happy that made her, but she was a great deal more cheerful.

As he had promised, the only chaotic magic in her house was the kind that made her laugh, or amused her.

One afternoon, they were out investigating a patch of bright blue strawberries that had decided to start growing in the rose garden. Suddenly the skies clouded over, thunder rumbling over head. Sigyn looked up, confused. Loki's chaotic magic had never affected the weather before, and it had been a clear sunny day only a moment ago.

Loki looked up as well. "Oh no..."

"This is unexpected," Sigyn murmured, looking at the sky. "I was sure we were forecast much brighter weather..."

"Get inside," he said in a firm tone she had never heard him use before. The trickster was still staring at the sky

She looked at Loki, concerned. "Is everything-" The rest of her sentence was cut off by a blindingly-bright light exploding to the ground between the pair of them. Momentarily impaired visually, Sigyn stayed very still, waiting for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she was rather surprised to see a well-built man stood before her, brandishing a very large hammer in her direction.

"Thor, stop!" Loki shouted

The hammer swung through the air, stopping short roughly two inches from Sigyn's nose. She took a very slow step backwards.

"Brother?" the man span around to look at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I- brother I have come to free you from your bindings!" He glowered over his shoulder at Sigyn. "That this witch would dare hold you here against your will..."

"You're targeting the wrong person," he said with a sigh

"I do not understand." the new man (Thor, apparently) said, a bit blankly. "You are here, with the witch-"

"Sorceress!" Sigyn snapped, irritated by the muscular oaf in her garden.

"The woman who Already Freed Me," Loki said firmly

"She- what?" Thor was about to get into another rant, but was caught off guard by Loki's words. "She freed- then why are you here, brother?"

"Why should I not be?" he asked

"We have been worried for you!" Thor's expression was a complex mixture of thunderous, worried, and confused.

"I have been missing for a rather long time," Loki said, "And you're just looking for me now?"

"We could not find you! There was some sorcery at work..." He gave Sigyn another suspicious glare.

"Really?" he blinked, a curious expression crossing his face, "I didn't notice that..."

Thor gave his brother a rather exasperated look. "What matters is that now I have found you."

"What matters is that you stop threatening my friend with Mjolnir," Loki said firmly.

"Your friend? You befriended the sorceress?" Thor looked nonplussed, but slowly lowered the hammer. Sigyn breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Yes," Loki said firmly, "I have."

"I...see." Thor said slowly, as though he wasn't entirely sure.

"I am not enchanted," he quickly assured Thor.

His brother regarded him carefully a moment. "Then why have you not come home?"

"Well obviously its because I have wanted to stay here," he replied.

"But why?" Thor looked utterly baffled.

"Because I like it here!" Loki snapped

"We have been worried for you!"

He sighed, "Yes, well I suppose so..."

"What is it about this place that keeps you from us?"

"I like it here," he repeated

Thor heaved a sigh. "What of it here?" He pressed, utterly unable to fathom why his brother would remain in this realm away from his family.

"I am needed here," he amended.

"By whom?"

"The Lady Sigyn - the sorceress you tried to clobber."

Thor managed to look slightly contrite as he glanced over his shoulder briefly. "She is a sorceress, brother," he said dismissively. "They traditionally need none but themselves."

"Well I happen to enjoy her company."

Thor blinked at him, momentarily speechless. "You...stay for her?" Thor said slowly.

"Yes!" he snapped, "Of course!"

His brother's mouth dropped open, whilst behind him Sigyn flushed, smiling.

"I mean..." he trailed off, "That is... I..."

Thor grinned suddenly. "Ah! Now I understand, brother! If I had known, I never would have presumed to offer your lady offense!"

"Would you like to desist digging a large hole for your brother?" Sigyn suggested mildly, as Thor grinned broadly at Loki.

Loki seemed to pull himself together. "He does that a lot, I'm afraid."

"I am sure I will grow used to it." She kept her tone light, just in case she was misinterpreting the trickster's stutters.

"And people think that I'm the trouble maker..." he muttered, but was smiling slightly.

Thor looked affronted a moment before he saw Loki's smile. Sigyn's lips twitched as she tried to prevent a laugh.

"This was not... how I intended..." Loki started

"You mean you have not expressed your feelings?" Thor sounded aghast. "Brother how could you be so remiss?" Sigyn bit her lower lip, laughter threatening to escape once more.

Loki shot Thor a look that clearly said 'You're Not Helping' His brother merely kept his look of shock.

Taking pity on her former-captive, Sigyn cast a small spell, then touched the blonde on the shoulder. "Perhaps you would like to go and sit down in my kitchen? There are a selection of beverages on the table there."

Shooting another look towards Loki that read 'How Have You NOT Said Anything?!', he nodded.

"I shall avail myself of your hospitality, Lady Sorceress."

"She is very generous," Loki agreed

Thor nodded at him, then headed into the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Sigyn turned a half-smile to Loki. "He is...loud."

"Very loud," Loki agreed, "But...oddly perceptive."

"Is he?" she inquired lightly, trying to ignore the blush that was slowly creeping over her face.

The Trickster nodded silently.

"Am I correct to assume that you intend to stay a great deal longer then?" she asked.

"If that is alright with you."

"Yes," she said softly, "Yes it is."