a/n: For anyone who's been wanting Loki's POV, you're welcome. :)

As always, thanks to Katie_Grey for betaing this & helping me not sound like an idiot. I appreciate you, dear-heart!

Chapter 4

Loki sent his horse away, trusting it to return to the stables on its own. Anthony had already expressed his discomfort around the creature and there was no longer any need for it, anyway. Turning back toward the newcomer, Loki pulled his shoulders back to stand at his full height. He made sure his mask of neutrality was firmly in place. Clasping his hands behind his back, he jerked his head toward the orchard they were standing next to. "Well, come along, then."

Without waiting for a response, Loki started walking between the line of tall trees. Anthony walked double-time to keep pace. They padded along in silence for a bit, until the other man finally stopped and let out a huff of irritation. Loki paused a few steps ahead of him and glanced back over his shoulder.

Anthony locked eyes with him, which was slightly impressive in itself since people rarely bothered to even look Loki's direction, let alone make or maintain eye contact. This newcomer was proving more and more interesting by the moment.

When Loki didn't immediately say anything, Anthony sighed. He threw his arms out to the side, gesturing to the space around them. "So, is there something special about these trees or something?"

Loki chuckled softly, almost to himself, before he took a few long strides to close the distance between them. "What are we—" Anthony's words were cut off by Loki's finger on his lips.

Although the act was primarily to shush the other man, Loki couldn't help smirking when Anthony's eyes widened and crossed as he tried to look down past his nose to where Loki's finger rested against his plush lips. "I knew there was a way to silence you," Loki teased. When he dropped his hand away, Anthony remained quiet save for a few shaky inhales.

With a lopsided grin, Loki took a step back, closing his eyes and waving his hand through the air. As he cast the spell he'd devised, he could feel the shroud settle around him and his companion, shutting out everything else and rendering them free unto themselves – without prying eyes or ears.

Once the magic was done, Loki opened his eyes again and gave a singular nod. "Much better," he commented.

Anthony glanced around, blinking a few times as if he was trying to get his eyes to adjust, or to see something far away. He raised an eyebrow. "Uh. What?"

"That golden buffoon watches everything from his observatory," Loki grumbled, jerking his head toward the Bifröst.

"Who, Heimdall?" Anthony asked, also turning his attention toward the rainbow bridge.

"Mm." Loki said, utterly displeased. "Heimdall is grotesquely loyal to my father. Between the two of them, I was constantly under somebody's thumb. It grew tiresome."

"Wait. So, like, you can hide from them with your magic?"

Loki narrowed his eyes, hesitating before he responded. The tone in Anthony's voice almost sounded impressed. But that didn't make sense. Because they were talking about seiðr – Anthony had even referenced it directly, by calling it magic. Typically, when others did that, it was with disdain and peering down their noses, offended by the very idea that seiðr could be useful or that it took actual skill.

No one ever asked Loki about his seiðr. Everyone much preferred to ignore it, to pretend they didn't know about it. Or to openly mock him for how they viewed it, as cowardice and femininity. Even Thor, while he may not have been as vocal as others, did not necessarily approve of Loki's sorcery – except for when it was used as amusement, through his tricks or illusions. But Thor still made it painfully clear that he didn't see Loki as a real warrior or as an equal, refusing to count the times that Loki had bested him in sparring. He even pretended that he had "let" himself get stabbed an absurd amount of times, as if he had seen it coming; as if he could have done a damn thing about it.

Loki wasn't bulky and brawny like Thor or Volstagg, using brute strength to plow his way through enemies. He wasn't muscular like Fandral or Hogun. He didn't wield a sword like Fandral or Sif, nor a mace like Hogun or an axe like Volstagg. And everyone conveniently forgot that Mjølnir was imbued with seiðr and that it channeled Thor's own personal seiðr (since he wasn't patient enough to hone the skills to use it without help from the hammer). All anyone saw when Loki fought was that he used sorcery – not that his litheness allowed him to be wicked fast, or that he was an expert tactician who could see opponent's weaknesses, or that he had trained to become better with daggers and knives than just about anyone on Asgard (even without the help of his seiðr, thank you very much).

Loki knew what others said about him. It was no secret. If they didn't say it out loud to his face then they whispered it behind his back, knowing full well that he had impeccable hearing. Gossip travels quickly, and the Trickster is certainly aware of all gossip within Asgard. So, of course, Loki knew how little others thought of him, how they compared him to Thor, how they called him ergi – which was only made worse when news traveled about the times he'd taken male bedmates.

More than anything, though, Loki knew that Thor did nothing to stop it. Nor did Odin or Heimdall, both of whom were aware of everything.

So, did Loki come up with a way to keep others from nosing into what he was doing? Of course he did. And did he use his seiðr to do it? Damn right.

Finally, looking into Anthony's brown eyes, Loki nodded. Trying to sound bored, like it meant nothing, he answered, "Yes, I devised a spell that would shroud me from Heimdall's leering eyes."

A deliciously devious smile spread across Anthony's face as understanding seemed to settle in. "You mean, you invented a way to hide from the guy who can literally see everything?"

Again, Loki nodded. Anthony stared at him for a moment before barking out a laugh. Seeing the surprise on Loki's face, Anthony quieted himself. "Sorry. It's just – well, I mean. Dude. Do you know how epic that is?" He ran a hand over his face, chuckling to himself. "I mean, even when the One Ring turned Frodo invisible, the Eye of Sauron could still see him. But you managed to come up with your own fucking spell that keeps you hidden from a guy who has an all-access pass to basically anything, anywhere, anytime?" He whistled. "The Fellowship definitely needed someone like you to get the hobbits to Mordor."

Loki felt his face heating up and cleared his throat. "Yes, well." But then he stopped because he really had nothing to say to follow up the nonsense that Anthony had been babbling about. And the fact that the man sounded genuinely impressed and intrigued was a complete shock in its own right.

Loki must have had a perplexed look on his face, because Anthony looked up and sniffed awkwardly. "What?"

With wide eyes, and trying to regain some composure, Loki shook his head. "I'm pretty much one of the smartest Asgardians around – not that I have much competition, mind you." He winked smugly. "Yet, I only understood about half of what you just said."

Anthony's mouth opened and closed in a very fish-like motion. Loki could almost see the gears turning as the man went back through the previous moments, as if trying to process what had come out of his mouth. Then, he started shuffling his feet nervously. "Oh. Um. Well, I just. I mean. Uh," he spluttered, trying to form any kind of coherent sentence and failing miserably. But a pretty blush spread across his tanned cheeks. And, well, Loki couldn't help himself.

He smiled.

It was one of his rare, genuine smiles, where he dropped his mask of controlled neutrality and allowed something real to show on his face. And the way Anthony's blush deepened as he smiled back, locking eyes for the briefest of seconds before shyly looking to the ground? That made it all completely worthwhile.

Shaking his head fondly, Loki teased, "You're odd. You know that, don't you?"

"Hey!" Anthony exclaimed, looking up in mock offense. "I like to think I'm pretty spectacular."

"Oh, I'm sure you do." Loki laughed quietly. It was then that Loki knew. This mysterious, cocky yet awkward, lying man with the beautiful eyes and toned physique was going to get Loki into a great deal of trouble.

He needed to keep his wits about him. Clearing his throat, Loki's smile faded, replaced once again by the emotionless expression that had become a trademark for him. He noticed Anthony frowning, and it made his heart ache. But no matter how fascinating this being was, Loki simply couldn't risk being real with him. He'd learnt the hard way how dangerous it was to show true emotions. He wasn't about to let his guard down again.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Loki cocked his head to the side. "Do you always just stare at people?"

Anthony wrinkled his nose. "No, I don't just stare at people." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Sometimes, I touch myself while I'm staring."

Loki snorted, surprised by the answer. "In that case, please keep your hands out of your pockets in my presence."

That made Anthony laugh. He lifted his hands in a surrender motion, then wiggled his eyebrows in what was probably supposed to be a seductive manner. Merely rolling his eyes in response, Loki turned and started walking back in the direction from which they'd come.

"Wait up!" Anthony called, running again in an attempt to match the god's long strides. "What are we doing?"

"Well," Loki drawled, "now that Heimdall thinks we're just in the orchard, we're free to do whatever we want." He eyed Anthony from his peripheral vision. "You wanted me to show you Asgard, did you not?"

"I did say that," the other agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly.

Once they were out of the orchard and back where they'd started, Loki stopped again. "Then, come." He held out both hands, palms up. "Let me show you my Asgard."

Anthony eyed Loki's hands suspiciously. Finally, after a moment of hesitation, he placed his palms atop Loki's.

Loki tried not to think about how warm Anthony's hands were, or how maybe he wasn't lying about being a weaponsmith because his hands were strong and calloused and yet there was still something very soft and inviting about them.

"Remember to breathe," Loki instructed (reminding himself as much as Anthony).

"Wait, what?"

"And I suggest you close your eyes," Loki added, not even bothering to hide the tone of mischief.

Anthony's eyes widened. "What?" he asked, more insistently. But Loki only offered a sly grin. Then, with a swirl of light, Loki stepped onto the branches of Yggdrasil, pulling Anthony along with him.

As per usual, the form of travel lasted mere seconds. As soon as their feet were back on solid ground, Anthony's knees buckled.

Loki rolled his eyes but didn't miss a beat as he caught the stumbling man under the armpits, wrapping his arms around Anthony and holding him up. He was surprisingly light. Loki sighed, his breath ruffling the hair on the top of Anthony's head. "You didn't close your eyes, did you?"

Anthony's head was leaned into the crook of Loki's neck and he shook it slowly in response. For a brief moment, Loki considered letting go and backing up, because he definitely did not want any vomitus on him. But then Anthony merely went slack in his arms, panting but otherwise remaining completely still. So, Loki didn't move either, waiting for the other to get his equilibrium back.

"At least I remembered to breathe," Anthony finally managed to say, slowly hoisting himself up with Loki's help.

"Well, there's that." Loki chuckled. As Anthony righted himself, Loki's hands remained firm on his shoulders for a moment. He told himself it was because he was waiting for confirmation that Anthony didn't need support anymore, and that it had nothing to do with him actually wanting to hold onto the shorter man. Norns, was he really so touch-starved?

Finally, as Loki's hands dropped to his sides, Anthony looked up into his eyes. "Did we just teleport?"

Loki closed his eyes, trying to hide the eye-roll that could probably still be seen under his lids. "We skywalked." He opened his eyes and shrugged. "But, for all intents and purposes, yes, we teleported."

"That was incredible." There was a sense of wonderment in Anthony's voice.

Loki frowned. "You. . ." He bit his lip, his eyes darting back and forth across Anthony's face rapidly, scanning him for mockery or some kind of trick. "You actually enjoyed that?"

"Yes?" Tony replied easily, although he seemed confused as to why Loki would even have to question it. "Who wouldn't? We just fucking teleported!" He laughed, slightly hysterically. "That's amazing and I'm impressed as hell. Plus, it was beautiful."

The look on Loki's face was one of pure shock. He didn't even bother to hide it. "But it's magic." The tone in Loki's voice was mocking, mimicking the derogatory way others had so often referred to his seiðr.

Anthony didn't even seem to hear him. He started talking, moving his hands frantically as if he didn't quite know what to do with them. "This might sound nuts," he began. "But it was like I could, I don't know, feel the universe, or something. Y'know? And for this brief, fleeting moment, I understood everything. Like, it was all there and made sense." He sighed, almost dreamily. "It was the kind of feeling I've always searched for as a scientist."

Starting to pace, Anthony ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, so magic's real. But what if it's not actually," he lifted his hands up and made an odd gesture, like quotation marks, in the air, "magic?"

Loki watched him as he paced and talked. It was like Anthony forgot Loki was even there, just rambling to himself. "What if," Anthony muttered, "magic is just science that we don't understand yet?" He shrugged. "I mean, many have been labeled as heretics until there was proof and others understood them – like, Copernicus."

Suddenly Anthony stopped his pacing—and ranting—and looked to Loki, his eyes wide and shining with awe. "And you," he said softly. Loki braced himself, girding himself for. . . well, something.

"What about me?" he asked guardedly.

Anthony bit his lip sheepishly. And Loki gulped, forcing his eyes away from those lips and telling himself not to think of where that mouth might be put to better use.

Finally, in a quiet voice and looking at the ground, Anthony said, "I could feel you."

Loki's eyebrows shot up. "You could. . . feel me? What in Hel does that mean?"

Anthony tilted his head back and groaned softly to the sky. A bit flustered, he tried to explain: "I could feel your magic carrying me. While we were skywalking, or whatever," he waved a hand dismissively. "It was like your magic was in every cell. Like, the—the very fiber of my being was filled to the brim with it."

Well. That was interesting. "And, what did that feel like?" Loki asked, genuinely curious.

"Hmm." Anthony stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It was cold," he finally answered with a chuckle. Then he added, "And just, I don't know, like, really powerful?" He shrugged, appearing strangely self-conscious and not at all like the enigmatic being he clearly tried to present himself as. "I can't explain it, really. It just felt like you. Like, I knew it was you. And you were everywhere and all over, and it was kind of intoxi—" Anthony froze. Blinking with owlish eyes, he scuffed the ground with the toe of his boot. "It was just, a bit much. I don't know," he spat out with a huff.

They were silent for a moment before Anthony let out a nervous laugh. "Um, anyway."

Loki raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"You were going to show me Asgard?" Anthony asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Indeed," Loki replied. Then, he turned on his heel and jerked his head, encouraging Anthony to follow him. They walked along the path Loki had skywalked them to, with Loki pointing out his favorite spots.

As they walked, Anthony chattered. Loki's previous observation that the man unable to stop talking proved true, as his mouth—and, apparently, his mind—raced a mile a minute, jumping from one topic to the next or asking one question after the other. At one point—after a barrage of questions about foliage (which led to follow-ups about soil and root systems, including an awe-filled interlude about the fact that roots even exist on "a planet that's basically a disc")—Anthony suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked at Loki, frozen, before quickly glancing away as his cheeks tinted with a blush.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Then he broke into a ramble: "I get carried away sometimes and I can't stop it. I just yammer on, and I don't really have a filter. I usually don't realize I'm doing it sometimes, and even when I do, I try to stop but I can't. And I know it's annoying—"

"Anthony," Loki said sternly, stopping the man's self-deprecating rant. Anthony looked up at him again with those doe-eyes looking hopeful and, somehow, deeply pained. There was a history there, Loki could tell. He could have asked, could have offered some kind of platitude or encouragement – it wasn't like he wasn't used to doing that, always having to cheer Thor up or talk him off a ledge when he was about to do something stupid. But there was something different about Anthony, something far more sincere.

Loki must have waited too long to speak, because Anthony's brows furrowed and he looked down, shaking his head gently, as if waking from a trance of some kind. When he looked back up, he had forced that glow of amusement and aura of self-confidence to return. "What else do you have to show me?" he asked, rubbing his hands together in front of him.

Silently, Loki simply started walking again. Anthony followed along at his side, listening as Loki began telling anecdotes. He found that as much as he had enjoyed listening to Anthony, he liked talking to him, too. And he was easy to talk to. Loki was typically the silent one, trailing along and just observing, only speaking when spoken to – unless he was whispering in Thor's ear or, in the past, trying to say anything that might make his father proud or at least take notice..

But he liked the excited manner with which Anthony spoke. Even more, he liked how the conversation was a two-way street for a change. Moreover, Anthony seemed to hang on his every word. Loki liked how he could tell the man was paying attention, by the way he asked questions or commented or even just nodded or chuckled at the right times. It was nice to find someone who actually listened, rather than just waiting for their turn to speak; someone who listened because they were interested, not because they felt obligated because of who Loki was.

Eventually, they reached the intended destination and Loki stopped, with Anthony coming to a halt beside him. They were at the top of a cliff near the outermost parts of Asgard. Loki pointed down to the edge of the cliff, an overhang with a river running several feet below which fed into a waterfall that ran off the edge of Asgard.

"From here," Loki said as he elegantly sat down in the grass, "you're essentially sitting on the edge of the planet."

Anthony's eyes widened and he looked back and forth between Loki and the overhang and back, making Loki smirk.

"I spend a great deal of time here," Loki confided.

With far less grace, Anthony plopped himself down on the ground, sitting cross-legged next to Loki. He looked down at the river, his gaze following it to the falls and watching the water crash off the edge of Asgard. Then, Anthony stretched his legs out and leaned backward, laying down and folding his hands behind his head as a pillow. He was staring up at the sky and he let out a contented sigh. "This place really was beautiful," he said, almost in a whisper. As if he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Loki couldn't help himself. "Was?" he asked, leaning back on his palms and tilting his chin to look down at the other man.

Anthony's eyes darted across Loki's face, expressions of confusion and fear and determination all racing through in an instant. "Erm. I meant, is," Anthony corrected. "Present-tense," he stated with a jerky nod of his head.

"Uh-huh." Loki narrowed his eyes suspiciously. The other man gave him a small, nervous smile and closed his eyes, trying to appear relaxed. But Loki could tell it was an act. As much as he hated to break the comfortable feeling that had taken residence between them, he didn't feel like he much of a choice. So, resignedly, he said, "You know you're not fooling me, right?"

Anthony opened one eye, squeezing the other to keep it shut. "Huh?"

Loki didn't even try to prevent his heavy eye-roll. "I'm a master of illusions. I think I can spot one when I see it," he chided.

Anthony sat up, propping himself on his elbows. He studied Loki for a moment before finally shrugging. "I don't know what you're talking about."

With a derisive snort, Loki looked away, pulling his knees to his chin and wrapping his arms around his legs. Loki was acutely aware of the man watching him. From his peripheral vision, he could see Anthony quirk an eyebrow in curiosity. Picking at a blade of grass, Loki let out a drawn-out sigh. "If that's how you'd like to play this game, so be it."

"What game?" Anthony queried. Then, he quickly added, "I'm not playing any games."

Glancing over his shoulder, Loki gave a wry smile. "Have it your way. I'll figure you out all on my own." Then, Loki rolled a blade of grass between his fingers. A green glow emanated from his hands as seiðr danced from his fingertips to the grass. Anthony sat up to watch what Loki was doing, his eyes widening as the grass transformed, taking on the body of a butterfly with wisps of seiðr serving as the wings. The grass-butterfly flitted around them, dancing in front of Anthony's awe-struck face for a moment, before whizzing up into the air and disappearing on a gust of wind.

Anthony stared up at the last place Loki's creation had been flying for a few more seconds before looking back down and locking eyes with Loki. Under his warm gaze, Loki felt his face flush and he turned away from the man. With a soft chuckle, Anthony shook his head.

"What?" Loki asked, his voice balancing precariously between curiosity and defensiveness.

"You're just not what I expected, I guess?" Anthony replied with a shrug.

Loki turned slightly, considering the other for a moment. He cocked his head to the side as he questioned, "Is that a good thing?"

Anthony appeared genuinely taken aback by the question. He puckered his mouth and furrowed his brows, apparently trying to determine how best to answer. Finally, he answered, slowly: "I think it is, yeah."

"Your confidence is quite reassuring," Loki told him dryly with a wink.

Anthony snickered. "Hey," he piped up, clearly prepping for a subject change. "I couldn't help but notice something."

"What, pray tell?"

"All your favorite places?" Anthony supplied. "They're far away from people. As in, not populated. Like, at all." He raised an eyebrow.

"Can't sneak anything past you, can I?" Loki deadpanned.

Anthony laughed as he playfully punched Loki's shoulder. Loki smirked before sighing and admitting, "I tend to not do well with others. I don't exactly have many fans."

"Why?" Anthony asked.

Loki was about to scoff. But Anthony's voice sounded so sincere, the look on his face so honest, that Loki knew he was not jesting. Loki pursed his lips and sucked in a sharp breath. Part of him wanted to push his earlier topic, about where exactly this being was from, because he had essentially just proved he was no Asgardian. Yet, Loki found that he didn't want to ask – maybe he didn't really want to know, or maybe it didn't matter. Because somehow, amazingly, this stranger had managed to connect with Loki in a way that no other had, and it wasn't just because he was the first in ages to even try. But whoever and whatever Anthony was, he was special, that much was clear.

So, yes. Loki could have called him out and asked—commanded, even—for him to confess the truth.

But he didn't. He told himself that he really would rather find out on his own (he'd always liked a challenge, after all).

So, what Loki said instead was: "My penchant for chaos has proved to be a poor way to make friends." Then, he added, "Being a seiðr master has not helped, either."

Anthony frowned. And before he could convince himself otherwise, Loki continued, "My seiðr is part of me. To stop using it would be to deny a part of myself." With a sigh, he closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the waterfall. "At worst, I have been mocked and called a liar, a cheat, argr, coward. . ." he let his voice trail off. Softly, he added, "At best, I am merely the brother of Asgard's golden son. The other prince." Loki opened his eyes, turning to Anthony, who was focusing intently on him.

Silence settled between them. Then, Anthony took in a slow, deep breath and closed his own eyes before he started speaking. "'All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies,'" Anthony's voice was low and almost ominous, but calculated as though he were reciting something. "'And whenever they catch you, they will kill you.'" He turned and opened his eyes so he was looking out toward the edge of Asgard again. "'But first, they must catch you.'"

Silvertongue or not, what could one possibly say to that? Loki inhaled shakily, letting the words sink in. He felt oddly comforted, and understood, by this strange man. Something lodged in Loki's throat, at the same time as he felt something warm in his chest. He swallowed and tried to form words, but found that he couldn't come up with a response. For the first time in centuries, it seemed as though Loki had stumbled across someone who might be equal to him. Someone he actually found himself liking and wanting to trust. Someone who could be a friend, or perhaps something more.

Then, Loki's eyes dropped to the pendant hanging around Anthony's neck, and he felt conflicted. The magic emanating from the pendant was plainly his, and he still couldn't understand why or how.

Anthony was still staring straight ahead, purposely not looking at Loki. Following his gaze, Loki saw the suns beginning their descent in the sky.

And suddenly, Loki remembered that he had somewhere to be. He swore under his breath.

"Something wrong?" Anthony asked, swiveling to look his direction.

Swiftly, Loki stood. He wasted no time in reaching down and tugging his companion to his feet as well, earning an exasperated huff from the shorter man. "I have to go."

"Okay?" Anthony arched an eyebrow.

"Close your eyes," Loki commanded. Surprisingly, Anthony did as he was told and Loki skywalked them back to the castle, to a hallway where they have guest quarters. Opening the nearest door, Loki gestured inside. "You can stay here."

Anthony peeked in the door, glancing around the room before straightening up again. "Thanks," he drawled with a tone of uncertainty. Then, he asked, "Why, though? I mean. . ." he paused, worrying his lip between his teeth for a moment. Obviously, he didn't want to completely give up the ghost, but the man's insatiable curiosity got the better of him. Loki couldn't help preening at the fact that he'd read the man correctly.

Still hoping he'd been reading things right, Loki leaned forward so their faces were mere inches apart. Anthony seemed to be holding his breath but didn't pull back. Loki had to tilt his face down to look in the other's eyes, putting on his classic Trickster smirk.

"I'm intrigued by you, Anthony," Loki all but purred. "I think I'll keep you around a bit longer."

Anthony gulped audibly, staring up at the mage. Then, Loki leaned away and took a few steps back. "I have somewhere to be," Loki repeated. "But, should you like, I can return when I'm done, to escort you to the main hall for supper," he offered.

"Um." Anthony blinked a few times before nodding. "Okay. Yeah, sure."

With that, Loki turned on his heel and took his leave, taking a few steps away from Anthony's doorway before returning to the branches of Yggdrasil and heading off for his meeting.

() * () * () * () *

a/n 2: Tony was quoting Frith's prophecy from Watership Down, by Richard Adams. The rest of the quote says, ". . .But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed." And even though it's about rabbits, it just really made me think of Loki (read the classic book or watch the delightful animated mini-series on Netflix, loves).