Yes, I know, it's been a while. Too long of a while, in fact. But before you complain about my lack of updates, I just want to say that I've been busy finishing my story that I was working on (Lost and Found, if you are interested). This work is just going to be updated whenever I feel like adding cute short stories. The updates will not be regular but I am willing to take suggestions. That being said, enjoy this next little bit! :)

Chapter Six: Masters of Mischief (Jormungandr's Prank)

Jormungandr tried to think of something. Anything. But he couldn't think. Out of all the people they could prank, he probably had the toughest one.

Bucky was a hard one to prank. The ex-assassin seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere and was extremely hard to catch unaware. The only one who could pull off some sort of prank was Loki, but he was the god of mischief and had many centuries of practice to succeed in pranking even the most observant people.

Taking a deep breath, Jormungandr stared down at his phone. He tried searching for pranks but most of them were too simple or not simple enough. Just trying to set anything up and finding the perfect opportunity was difficult enough. Actually succeeding, however, was a whole other ballpark. And pranking Bucky may have been out of his league.

The article that he had found had no good ideas so he exited and paused. His finger hovering over the search bar, Jormungandr thought of something that surely would work.

Bucky had nice hair, really nice hair. It would be a shame if someone messed with it.

Grinning, Jormungandr slipped on his jacket and grabbed his backpack. He needed to get a few things for this prank to work.

Bucky wouldn't know what hit him.

/\/\/\/\/\

His workout had been grueling. After a five mile hard run, weightlifting, and core, Bucky had no energy left. He had ditched his shirt once he got back home to lift in their weight room but he still felt hot.

A nice, cold shower would be nice.

As he walked up the stairs to his bedroom on the main level, Bucky had to be careful not to drip sweat onto the dark, hardwood floor. He gave Jormungandr, who sat on the living room couch watching TV, a small wave before disappearing into his room to grab a change of clothes.

After that, he slipped into the bathroom on the same floor. Although there were nine people living in the same house, this bathroom was considered Pietro's and Bucky's. The kids shared a bathroom upstairs while Thor had a private bathroom. Sigyn and Loki had a bathroom connected to their room as well so the one on the main floor was where Bucky kept his personal hygiene items.

Letting the water run before getting in, Bucky set his workout clothes into the laundry basket in the corner of the bathroom. Testing the water's temperature with his human hand, Bucky decided that the temperature was too his liking and got in.

The sudden jolt of cold water hitting his bare skin woke him up a bit but years of taking cold showers in the army allowed him to settle in comfortably.

Deciding that he had enough time just standing there and letting the water run over him, Bucky grabbed the shampoo bottle that he used and poured some out onto his hand. He lathered it into his shoulder length hair, being careful not to let it run into his eyes.

Most men had shorter hairstyles but Bucky preferred to keep his longer. He didn't know exactly why but he had gotten used to the longer style and the familarialty of it and being able to choose what he did with his hair gave him a sense of freedom.

Plus, almost everyone he knew liked his long hair. Living with seven Asgardians who all seemed to win the lottery for great hair was challenge that Bucky stepped up to and completely crushed it. It was almost a requirement to have beautiful hair to live in their house since everyone seemed to be trying to one-up each other by just existing with their own hairstyles that fit everyone of them perfectly. Even Loki, who looked strikingly handsome with his short, silky curls that made the prince look more accurate to his younger age said that he sometimes envied Bucky's longer haircut. Therefore, in order to have something to hold over Loki that he was better at made Bucky keep his hairstyle.

And most people knew better than to mess with it.

Lost in his thoughts, Bucky didn't notice that his gorgeous brown locks were being tampered with.

The cold water turned to a colder, uncomfortable temperature so Bucky decided that he had enough. He twisted the dial to 'off' and wrung out his hair. He reached around the white shower curtain for a towel that he wrapped around his waist.

Stepping out onto the bath mat on the tiled floor, he grabbed another towel that he used to dry his hair.

He used his arm to wipe a clear spot on the mirror and dried his face. Peeking over the towel at himself, he jumped.

"What the f-" Bucky cut himself off from swearing. He had to watch his mouth around the house because Sleipnir and Sigyn usually would turn red whenever someone cursed and he didn't want to offend those with sensitive ears.

Making sure that what he was seeing was real, Bucky tentatively reached up and touched his hair. His bright. Orange. Hair.

This time, Bucky swore. Who in the 'h-e-double hockey stick' would do something like this? Dye his hair? His wonderfully smooth, brown hair?

Slightly anger but more shocked than anything, he took his hair towel and tried to rub out the dye but it wouldn't come out. Some of the orange color was left on the towel but most of it stayed stuck to his hair.

Where had the dye even come from?

Quickly grabbing his shampoo bottle, Bucky opened the lid and looked inside. The normally pale orange color of the shampoo was instead bright orange. Dang it, he was too tired from his workout to notice that it was a different shade of orange.

In a final act of desperation, he turned on the faucet in the sink and tried to wash out the dye while silently thinking of who would be stupid enough to dye his hair.

Whoever did this would pay.

/\/\/\/\/\

Sitting on the couch in the living room, Jormungandr let out a sly grin when he heard a shout from the bathroom. So Bucky had fallen victim to the hair dye. He had to give himself a pat on the back for thinking about the prank and timing it perfectly.

Most people knew better than to mess with Bucky's hair but Jormungandr thought that a little scare wouldn't hurt. Of course the dye wasn't permanent and would come out with some careful washing but the aspect of having one's hair dyed unwillingly would anger anyone, especially those who took great care with their hair.

Now, if anyone tried to dye Jormungandr's hair, then there would be issues but Bucky was usually an easy going person and Jormungandr highly doubted that Bucky would do something to get back at his adopted nephew.

His TV show no longer held his attention as Bucky stormed out of the bathroom, a bath towel wrapped around his waist and his face fuming mad. His hair, wet and sticking to his neck, was a pale orange color, most of the dye still staying in.

Jormungandr faked innocence and gave a fake, shocked looked.

"What happened to you?" he asked, trying to sound genuine.

"Some idiot decided to put hair dye in my shampoo," Bucky replied. He held up his towel with one hand and started to go up the stairs.

"Now who would do that?" Jormungandr added. It was tougher than he thought it would be to keep a straight face.

"I have a feeling that it was your father," Bucky said flatly. He turned on his heel and marched up the stairs to Loki's bedroom.

Jormungandr waited until Bucky disappeared into his father's room and then snuck upstairs to listen outside the partially opened door.

"I'm telling you," Bucky's voice could be heard, almost shouting behind the door. "One moment it was fine and now it's orange. Look at me, I look horrible!"

"I wasn't in your bathroom," Loki replied. Jormungandr could tell that his father was trying hard not to laugh by the strain in his voice for attempting to keep a straight face.

"Who else would be stupid enough to mess with my hair?" Bucky questioned bitterly.

"Oh, so you think I'm stupid, huh? I see how it is; just blame me for every prank that ever happens in this household, why don't you."

"I didn't mean it like that," Bucky replied. "But you're the only one who would plan something like this. And it won't come out!"

"I promise you, I didn't put hair dye in your shampoo bottle. It must be someone else."

"Like who? The kids?" Bucky retorted sarcastically.

"How am I supposed to know? It's not like I constantly watch what they are doing."

Bucky's voice was getting desperate as the volume of the conversation rose. "Then who the **** would do something like this!"

"I don't know and quit blaming me because it wasn't me!"

He couldn't hold it anymore, the conversation was too hilarious. Jormungandr let out a loud laugh, one that Bucky would surely hear. He quickly covered his mouth and stared at the door with wide eyes, hoping that Bucky didn't hear.

Footsteps approached the door and the door opened. Bucky poked his orange head out and looked around. His glare softened just a bit when his eyes fell on Jormungandr sitting in the corner of the balcony.

Accepting his defeat, Jormungandr dropped his hands and clutched his stomach as he fell over laughing.

"So it was you!" Bucky exclaimed. Loki peeked around Bucky's shoulder at his son rolling on the floor in hysteria.

"That was a good one," Loki praised, finally dropping his serious expression and letting a grin cross his face.

Bucky whipped around and jabbed an accusing finger into Loki's chest. "You knew about this?!"

"Of course I knew,"Loki admitted. "I didn't know what exactly he had in mind but I knew that he was going to prank you."

Bucky's mouth dropped open. "First Sleipnir, now Jormy..." Bucky's eyes shifted between Jormungandr and Loki as he put the pieces together in his mind. "You're having a prank war, aren't you?"

"More like a competition," Loki corrected, his smile widening.

"Between who?"

"The kids. I'm the judge."

Bucky's pursed his lips unhappily. "And Sigyn knows…"

Loki shrugged. "She got pranked already so I asked her to be quiet. So don't tell anyone."

Silence filled the air as Bucky paused to think, the stillness was only broken up by Jormungandr still trying to stifle his laughter. The ex-assassin looked highly confused as he stared at the wall, his eyebrows (which were spared from the hair dye) furrowed in thought.

"Are the pranks done?" Bucky finally asked, looking defeated.

"I make no promises but the kids only had to do one prank on the person they chose," Loki replied.

Turning towards Jormungandr and pointing angrily at his hair, Bucky said with a glare, "This better come out."

Jormungandr shrugged, attempting to act innocent. "It should come out in another shower."

Making sure that his nephew wasn't lying, Bucky stared at him for a minute before deciding that Jormungandr was telling the truth and stomped back downstairs.

With the victim gone, Jormungandr and Loki descended into a fit of laughter. Bucky's reaction was the best so far. The prank might have been a little mean but Jormungandr had made sure to get the kind of hair dye that would wash out, mostly for his own safety.

This competition between the kids just started to be tougher as Jormungandr's prank raised the stakes. Sleipnir's prank was mild, just like his personality but Jormungandr threw out all emotional feelings and just went for a mean one.

Not many people could prank Bucky or catch him off-guard but now Jormungandr was on the list.

Beat that, losers.

The next part of this will be updated soon, that I can promise. Until then, feel tree to read my other stories. :)