Kamar Taj, Kathmandu, 1193 A.D.
They met when Harry was eighteen and Tom seventeen.
"You're a wizard, Harry," Tom said with the biggest grin on her face.
Harry snorted before she could stop herself, and then she rolled her eyes. "Nope. Sorcerer, babe. And so are you."
"Student sorcerer," Tom said, glancing curiously around the large main room of the magical temple they found themselves in. "I only just got here."
"I've been here for almost five years now. Master Azad found me as an orphan living on the streets of Bhaktapur not that far from here. I'm officially an apprentice now." Harry gestured at Tom to follow her as she walked towards the dormitories. "I'm Hanit, by the way."
"I'm Tashi from Lhasa, only recently orphaned. My mother, before passing away just a few months ago, had arranged a marriage for me with some older man I don't particularly like, but thankfully Master Azad offered me an alternative. Magical training instead of an arranged marriage sounded like quite a good deal to me." Tom followed Harry into a small, private room with stone walls and a narrow, glassless window with only a wooden hatch to cover it . "I thought we were sleeping in a dormitory?"
"New students, yes," Harry said, gesturing to the thin mattress on a simple, low wooden frame. "But apprentices get their own rooms, and a real yak-hair mattress instead of those horrible sacks filled with moss and ferns."
"The hight of luxury," Tom agreed with a solemn nod.
"So, want to share?" Harry gave Tom a saucy wink while flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder.
Tom stepped a little closer to Harry, looking down at her with a crooked smile. "You're so small. What are you, three feet?"
"What? No! I'm probably four foot nine, maybe even ten." Harry crossed her arms and glared up at Tom, who couldn't be more than five foot four but still towered over Harry. "And you have to be nice to me if you're sharing my room or else you can go sleep on the ferns, buddy."
"I'll be good," Tom whispered, lowering her head and pressing a soft kiss to Harry's lips. Tom was beautiful, with long, black hair tied up in a wild bun and warm, brown eyes, and skin bronzed by the sun. Harry sagged against Tom as she deepened the kiss and before long they were having a really good snog, the kind that made Harry's whole body tingle while things started throbbing and tightening between her legs.
"Fuck, now I'm horny," Harry whispered against Tom's grinning mouth. "And we have first meal soon."
As if on que a bell rang across the whole temple.
"Later," Tom mumbled against Harry's lips, giving her one last kiss before pulling away. "But I am quite hungry so breakfast would be good."
Shaking her head, Harry grabbed Tom's hand and pulled her along to the mess hall. They could be patient with any intimate relationship. Their previous life they'd been happily married for over fifty years with two kids and a bunch of grandkids. Tom had been a man, a small town doctor in a coastal town in Croatia, and Harry had been a woman and after the kids were old enough to go to school full time, Harry had gotten involved in local politics, at first to save the library, but later because she enjoyed it. Harry had never had ambitions to do politics on a large, national scale, like Tom sometimes had, but in that life Harry had made it to mayor and enjoyed doing that job for many years.
That was, until Yellowstone blew and the whole world faced a famine, but that was a story for another time.
"We usually have dal in the mornings," Harry said, guiding Tom towards the table holding several large steaming pots. The food in that era and location was simple but warm, filling and nourishing. Lots of lentil soups known as dal served over rice, barley or millet, with spicy pickles on the side, for breakfast and lunch. And for dinner they usually had some form of tarkari, a vegetable curry also served with whatever kind of grain was available. Usually topped with a soft-boiled egg, and once or twice a week served with a spoonful of meat, usually stewed goat, sheep or yak.
They were quite high up in the Himalayas and the climate was cold and the growing season short, so they had to make do with whatever they managed to grow with only buying small amounts of rice that was brought to the region on the backs of yaks and was therefore quite expensive. All students were expected to work the fields and tend the animals, sheep and goats and yaks and a whole flock of chickens that belonged to the temple, situated in various locations around the area, and that provided most of their food. Harry always enjoyed farm work and knew Tom wouldn't mind doing it, either.
They'd lived in ancient times often enough at that point to know that work like that was necessary, because you couldn't just pop into a supermarket or McDonalds for a quick meal. To survive, you had to make sure you grew your own food, simple as that.
"It smells good," Tom commented as they both filled bowls with barley and dal.
"The food here is great," Harry agreed, adding some pickles before offering the serving spoon to Tom. "I mean, most anything tastes good after you've had to beg for food on the street, but they genuinely have some good cooks here."
"Yes," Tom agreed, following after Harry to find a spot to sit at the many long tables lined with benches. "I'm happy to at least have three full meals a day again."
The Ancient One, their fearless leader, looked up from her spot a few tables over and her eyes widened significantly as she looked at Harry and Tom.
Harry wouldn't be surprised if she somehow knew something had changed about her with Tom's arrival. The Ancient One always seemed to know everything. She was without a doubt the most omniscient person Harry had ever met, and Harry was sure that had something to do with the ugly necklace she always wore, known as the Eye of Agamotto. Harry had no clue what it did, but she was determined to find out.
During their meal, Harry chattered away, explaining the rules of Kamar Taj to Tom and talking about what to expect about her upcoming magical training.
Just as they were done, a figure stopped behind them, looming over them. "Please follow me," the Ancient One said, and turned on her heels.
Harry and Tom hurried after her, dropping their used bowls and spoons off at the designated table to be washed. The Ancient One led them to the meditation room, which was empty while most people were still at breakfast.
"You have…grown, Hanit," the Ancient One said while giving Harry a most intense look, her blue eyes blazing.
"She wishes," Tom muttered and then quickly looked down at her feet when the Ancient One glanced at her.
"I don't believe we've met."
"I'm Tashi from Lhasa," Tom said, meeting the Ancient One's gaze with a polite smile. "Master Azad brought me here just this morning."
The Ancient One folded her hands in front of her, head tilted as she looked from Harry to Tom and back. "You are, and yet you are so much more."
"Yes, fine," Harry said, deciding there and then to share the truth with the Ancient One. They usually didn't tell anyone about their weird, endless cycle of reincarnation because most people wouldn't believe them, think them insane, or if they did believe them they wouldn't be able to do anything with that information except treat Harry and Tom like outcasts. Over their lives so far there had only been very few exceptions to that rule.
But the Ancient One had earned her name and she was a kind and fair leader, as far as Harry knew. And she was their best bet to having answers as to what was happening to them and why. If anyone they'd ever met across the multiverse knew, it would be her.
"My first name is Harry, and this is Tom, and we are stuck in a unending cycle of reincarnation," Harry explained, while Tom whipped her head around to stare at Harry in surprise but still keeping silent. After all that time, Tom trusted Harry completely, and thus trusted her judgment when it came to who to tell the truth to. "When we look in each other's eyes we regain our memories from our previous lives. This is life number 50."
"And you have no idea why this is happening?" the Ancient One asked softly, eyes narrowing just a smidge.
"Not really. In our first lives we were wizards, we had magic different than the one we have here. We believe we may have inadvertently gathered a few magical artifacts that caused this, but we don't know anything for certain." Harry decided not to mention the horcruxes for now. What Tom had done to her own soul once upon a time was such a large taboo that it would change people's perception of her, and Harry preferred they get to know her first without any prejudice so they could form their own opinion.
"I have honestly never heard of such a thing," the Ancient One said after a few moments of deep thought. "I will spend some time in the library to see what I can discover there." And with a short nod, the Ancient One turned around and left.
"Won't she mind if we're shacking up?" Tom asked while Harry grabbed her hand again to take her sightseeing across the temple. "This era isn't exactly kind to people in same-sex relationships."
"Outside these walls, yeah, people won't accept us," Harry agreed. "But here, the sorcerers don't care. We have several people in relationships with someone of their own gender."
"Good." Tom's grin turned into an absolutely filthy little smile. "Because I'm a girl again and I can't wait to share a few multiple orgasm with my soulmate."
Harry cracked up and laughed all the way to the courtyard.
And later that night, both Tom and Harry made good on their intentions with their fingers and their lips and their tongues. And afterwards, as they lay panting on the luxurious yak-hair mattress, their sweaty bodies covered with a scratchy wool blanket, Harry basked in the simple happiness she felt.
This was going to be an interesting life, she just knew it.
Baghdad, Persia, 1203 A.D.
"These are so amazing," Harry said, carefully cradling the sticky dates she'd bought in a clean handkerchief against her chest. "So sweet." Harry popped one in her mouth, chewing slowly while closing her eyes in obvious pleasure.
Tom reached over to snatch a date and stuck it in her own mouth before Harry could object. "They are good."
Harry mock-glared at her but didn't mind sharing her well-earned treat. They were in Baghdad to find a new student, someone the Ancient One had seen in some way would make an excellent sorcerer but who was currently twelve-years-old and living as a street rat. Some kid named Hassan.
Over the last decade Harry and Tom had applied themselves to their magical studies with passion and discipline, rising to the ranks of Masters in record time. It helped, of course, that they already were familiar with magic in many forms in other worlds. The magic they learned now wasn't all that different at its roots, just the spells and rituals used to create and control the magic were new and had to be memorized.
Unfortunately, the Ancient One hadn't been able to find much of anything explaining their endless cycle of reincarnation. Harry could tell it genuinely baffled her, that after the very long time she'd been alive, she now encountered a problem she didn't have an answer for. The Ancient One had become a friend and confidant to them both, and they'd spent many hours while drinking many cups of tea, telling her about their previous lives, which the Ancient One was always happy and curious to hear about.
And once Harry and Tom became Masters and Master Azad was getting on in his age and wished to spend more time with his partner, Master Xing, the Ancient One decided Harry and Tom were to become the new recruiters. Harry and Tom didn't mind one bit, as they loved travelling and holy cow, being able to open portals to anywhere in the world was the best magical invention, ever, according to both Harry and Tom. It was far more comfortable and safe than apparition or even portkeys.
It had been one of Harry and Tom's most important missions, to learn how to make sling rings from scratch, because it would undoubtedly come in handy in future lives. Of course, magic was different in every world, and the specific magic used with a sling ring to open portals throughout the world and even the multiverse wouldn't be found in just any new world. But Harry was convinced that they would encounter similar worlds again sometime, so it was excellent knowledge to have.
Now they found themselves on the hunt for a street kid in the bustling city of Baghdad. Harry loved the Himalayas and could spend hours wandering around the area surrounding Kamar Taj, just taking in the rocky peaks, the deep valleys and the enormous mountains, but travelling to exotic places also had its charms.
"It's just like in Aladdin," Harry commented after they finished the dates between them. She gestured at the dusty streets around them, the tan, stone buildings, the little market stalls selling breads and spices and dried fruits. "Riffraff, street rat, scoundrel, take that!" she sang quietly.
"Yep," Tom agreed while wrinkling her nose. "Too bad Disney never managed to get across the stink of an era before personal hygiene was invented. We might have been a bit more prepared for it if they had."
Harry burst out in laughter, almost doubling over and bumping against the person in front of her. They were lucky that the Ancient One demanded people keep clean in Kamar Taj, and everyone was expected to wash daily with ice cold water straight from various mountain springs and to take weekly baths, with warm water they had to share with several others. Everywhere else in the world they weren't so lucky and they had to put up with body odour. Lots and lots of body odour. Not to mention the wonderful smells of human and animal shit and piss everywhere.
You got used to it, for the most part. It's just that Harry and Tom knew what it could be like once the whole world wizened up to washing regularly and once deodorant and cheap perfumes were invented, and sometimes, they really missed those times when surrounded by hundreds of smelly people.
The tall man Harry had bumped into turned around to snarl at her, raising his meaty fist.
Harry quickly cast a small spell, that world's equivalent to a confundus charm, and the angry man blinked in confusion, face losing the obvious signs of rage while he turned around and went on his way.
"Yes, just like Aladdin," Tom said while she glanced at Harry. "Including you pissing of what might very well have been a palace guard."
Harry laughed and bumped her elbow against Tom's side before darting off to look at more dried fruit. They got so little of that in Kamar Taj, and Harry loved their sweetness. She was determined to indulge in some dried apricots next. Tom stepped up beside her and eyed the dried figs with interest.
"You did magic," a new voice with a strange accent sounded from behind them.
Harry and Tom turned around and looked up. And up. And up some more. Whoever the guy was, he was tall as shit. Pale, with slicked back black hair and sporting an interesting black and green leather outfit.
"You're right," Harry said, intrigued by this stranger who was clearly out of place in a Baghdad market. "I'm Harry, and this is Tom. Might we know your name?" They had started using their own names years ago and everyone at Kamar Taj addressed them as such after it came out they were reincarnated and that had been their original names. It was refreshing.
The man in front of them grinned down at them, showing far too many teeth and reminding Harry of a shark about to eat you. "I am Prince Loki Odinson of Asgard."
Harry snorted. "Sure. And I'm the Queen of England."
"Ah," Loki said, face lighting up. "You are royalty yourself, that will help matters greatly. Though I admit I am not familiar with your kingdom."
Tom lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her nose while her shoulders shook with quiet laughter, all while Harry gaped up at this self-professed Loki of Asgard.
"I was told the mortals here still worship myself and my people," Loki continued with a self-satisfied smirk. "I wished to see this for myself."
"Yeah, you're in the wrong place for that, buddy," Harry said after a few moments of quiet disbelief. "You need to go north for that. Scandinavia. Or however it's called right now, I can never keep ancient names straight, there's so many."
Loki blinked a few times before visibly squaring his shoulders. "Then you can show me this place, Queen Harry."
"No can do," Harry said with a fake smile of regret. What a poser this guy was. "I've got work here. But just head north, you'll get there eventually." Tom poked Harry in the side a few times and Harry turned to glare at her. "What?"
Tom leaned closer and whispered in Harry's ear, in ancient Nepalese, the language they spoke in Kamar Taj, "He's speaking modern English with us. How the fuck is that possible?"
Harry slowly closed her mouth after it fell open in shock for a moment. She and Tom did always speak in modern English together, especially while travelling, because that kept their conversations nice and private. But this clown somehow not only understood modern English before it was even invented, he also spoke it fluently.
Was he a time traveller?
"How do you speak English?" Harry decided to just ask him, since her mind only came up with the most absurd scenarios to explain that little unexpected fact.
"I do not speak your language," Loki assured them with a quick smile, though his tone suggested he now doubted their intelligence for asking something that stupid. "I am of Asgard. We have Allspeak."
Tom narrowed her eyes as she gazed up at Loki. "Allspeak allows you to understand and speak all languages?"
Loki nodded. "In essence, yes."
"Convenient," Harry muttered to herself, wondering if that was something they could get for themselves as well since they travelled so much to such far off places while recruiting new students.
"I have answered your questions, now you might answer one of mine," Loki said in a sickly sweet tone, bending down a little to look them in the eye. "How is it you know magic? I was told it had died out in Midgard ages ago."
"You were told wrong," Tom replied with a simple shrug. "Our Order of sorcerers has been around since time immemorial."
"That is what you call yourself. Sorcerers." Loki narrowed his eyes and looked them over a time or two. "Very well, sorcerers. You shall be my guides on Midgard henceforth."
"No, we won't," Harry said, getting a little fed up with this guy, whoever he was. Harry very much doubted he was Loki the God of Mischief from the mythical realm of Asgard. She wasn't that gullible, thank you very much.
Loki's stance changed in such a way both Harry and Tom were instantly wary of what he would do next. He looked like a warrior about to strike the first blow. "I am a Prince of Asgard. My father rules your realm, you mortals are here to serve us, and you shall obey me!"
"That's news to us," Harry said with a charming little smile while the Cloak of Levitation perked up around her shoulders.
As part of becoming Masters, both Harry and Tom had received magical artifacts. Tom had bonded very strongly with the Blade of Byzantium, a small, unassuming knife that could instantly transform into any size or shape its Master required. Tom was absolutely lethal with that thing, having learned to change its shape mid fight to throw off her enemies, morphing it from a tiny pocketknife into a four foot longsword mid swing.
And Harry got stuck with a very affectionate piece of clothing. The Cloak of Levitation insisted on being Harry's, even if Harry really was too short for it and the cloak all but dragged along the ground when Harry wore it. Levitation was all well and good and lots of fun, but Harry did regularly eye Tom's very cool blade with no small amount of envy.
Several things happened at once. Loki summoned two wicked blades into his hands, from where Harry had no clue. The Cloak around Harry's shoulders took exception to that and launched itself towards Loki, wrapping firmly around his whole head and dragging him back. Harry created a few magical ropes, throwing them to wrap around Loki's wrists and ankles. And Tom put on his sling ring at once and opened a portal to the mirror dimension that he made to swallow all three of them. That way no innocent bystanders would get hurt.
Loki shimmered in green magic, turning Harry's magical ropes to dust. He reached up with both hands, flinging the cloak to the side, and all of a sudden there were eight of him.
"What the fuck," Harry said, looking around at all the grinning Lokis. "Cute trick." They were illusions, obviously, and illusions could be easily broken. Still, the magic was impressive.
Harry conjured a metal cannonball, heated it up until it was bright orange, and sent it flying around in a circle, so it passed through every single fake Loki until it would inevitably hit the real one. Except the real one chickened out at the last moment, jumping out of reach of the cannonball, the rest of the illusions fading away.
"You're going to have to do better than that," Harry said with a taunting grin. She was enjoying the fight. She had no intention of permanently injuring or killing Loki, but she felt he needed to learn an urgent lesson in humility.
"Do you need help, darling?" Tom called, as she stood to the side, arms crossed, obviously enjoying the show.
"Don't be silly," Harry said with sweet smile, briefly glancing at her soulmate. The Cloak settled around her shoulders again and they rose into the air. "One upstart, wannabe prince is no match for me."
"Upstart wannabe prince?" Loki demanded, daggers falling into his hand again. What a one-trick pony.
Harry rubbed her hands and really let loose, all while hovering quietly above a fuming Loki. She liquified the sandy ground beneath Loki's feet, turning it into quicksand, animated the empty merchant stalls around them to attack Loki, and summoned five wild boars, three African buffalos and a hippopotamus to stampede towards the frantically cursing Loki. No one ever expected a hippopotamus to suddenly attack them out of the blue, and those fuckers were fast, strong and had mouths that could snap a grown man in half.
Loki managed to magic all of Harry's attacks away, hippopotamus included, but only just and afterwards, Loki lay on the ground, panting and covered in mud.
Tom leisurely opened the portal back up to their home dimension. "There's the door, upstart wannabe prince."
Loki looked like he wanted to do horrible things to them both, but the moment a still hovering Harry raised her hands again to perform more magic, Loki quickly got to his feet and ran through the portal, fleeing with his metaphorical tail between his legs.
"That was fucking hot," Tom said as Harry slowly descended until she stood before her.
Harry beamed at Tom. "Thanks, babe. Glad you enjoyed that. I sure did."
Tom briefly bit her lip. "I'm just wondering if we didn't just make a mistake."
"A mistake, how?" Harry asked, utterly confused.
"What if that actually was Loki, God of Mischief," Tom said carefully, ignoring Harry's disbelieving scoff. "An actual god might have answers for us, concerning our predicament."
Sighing, Harry waved towards the glowing portal. "It hardly matters now, since he's gone, and I doubt we'll ever see him again."
"I suppose." Tom shuffled a little closer to Harry, cupped the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her. "You looked so fucking amazing, kicking his ass."
Harry immediately wrapped her arms around Tom's body, pressing close and answering the kiss with lots of tongue. Blindly, Tom closed the portal behind them for the time being, giving them some much needed privacy in the mirror dimensions.
Hassan the street rat could wait for an hour while Tom showed Harry in detail just how hot and bothered Harry's performance had left her.
Kamar Taj, Kathmandu, 1206 A.D.
It took Loki three years to track them down and then he appeared at Kamar Taj one day out of the blue, acting like nothing had happened and they were the best of friends.
Harry wasn't impressed. Tom was mostly amused.
"Friends," Loki said with a charming grin and a little bow as Harry and Tom approached him in the entrance hall of the temple. "I am glad to see you again."
"What do you want?" Harry crossed her arms and looked up at him with narrowed eyes.
"I have come to propose an exchange of knowledge," Loki said, voice dripping with sincerity. "Your display of magic impressed me." This was said in a tone of slight disbelief, as if Loki even after three years still couldn't quite believe a mere mortal had bested him. "And you seemed interested in some of my talents, so perhaps we can come to an arrangement."
"Are you truly Loki, the God of Mischief?" Tom asked. Over the years, neither Harry nor Tom had ever reached a conclusion about that, even when they'd come up with plenty of arguments for and against that conclusion.
Loki straightened himself, overly friendly expression evening out. "I am."
"Prove it," Harry said at once. "Take us to Asgard." That was one way to convince her, Harry decided.
"Ah." Loki looked the picture of regret. "The Allfather doesn't allow mortals into the realm, nor does he know of my excursions to Midgard."
"Figures," Tom muttered.
"But I can take you to any of the other realms, if that might convince you?"
Harry and Tom briefly shared a look. "Isn't there some world with elves and stuff? Show us the elves, and we'll believe you," Harry said, desperately trying to remember all she knew of Norse mythology. This was the first time in all their lives so far that they came face to face with an actual Norse deity, after all. She'd never needed that knowledge before.
"You mean Alfheim?" Loki looked entirely unconcerned by Harry's request. "I can take you there easily enough. We'll walk across Yggdrasil."
Boy, that was tempting, but Harry and Tom weren't born yesterday. It could very well be a trap from a vengeful Loki determined to get back at them for his humiliation at their hands years ago.
Loki must have seen that doubt on their faces. "I swear to you I mean you no harm," Loki said, holding up a hand that shimmered with green magic, sealing that vow.
"Well, how can we refuse?" Harry said, sharing an excited look with Tom at the idea of visiting another planet of sorts. Another realm, at least.
Walking across Yggdrasil felt like a weird combination of apparition and walking through a very long portal. Whatever it was, it was very impressive magic and Harry's opinion of Loki and his magical talents went up quite a few notches. Moments later, they stood on Alfheim.
Harry shared a huge smile with Tom as they walked from the low hill they'd arrived on toward the nearby town filled with white, stone buildings. The countryside was green, with a bright sun and two moons in the sky, convincing Harry that they were indeed in a different world. Huge trees lined the cobbled road and occasionally elves passed them on foot or horseback, and once a delicate white carriage pulled by four white horses. Harry guessed that must be the local nobility. The elves were tall, very human-like, but with slightly pointy ears and shimmering, silver eyes and very pale skin. They barely took any notice of Loki, but both Harry and Tom got a few curious looks. Whether that was because of their Asian features or their relative short statures or something else entirely, Harry hadn't a clue.
Meanwhile, Loki acted as tour guide and rattled off some of Alfheim's long history and most notable inhabitants.
There was a small market in the town square and Loki let them have all the time they wanted to inspect the many wonderful wares for sale.
Harry found the softest blanket ever, the edges embroidered with many colourful symbols that reminded Harry of runes, but none that she recognized. "How much for this?" Harry asked, before even realizing she didn't have much money on her, and the few copper coins in her money bag were probably worthless here. Regretfully, Harry stroked a hand across the blanket and prepared to move on.
"Prince Loki," the merchant behind the stall said in surprise and with a small bow.
"They know you here?" Tom asked softly, while Harry was still slowly falling in love with a blanket of all things.
"I have spent quite a few years here studying magic," Loki said in a simple explanation. Then he turned towards the merchant. "These are my friends Harry and Tom. They are visiting from the realm of Midgard."
"Midgard? Truly? I do not think we've ever had visitors from there before." The merchant noticed Harry's doe eyes at the blanket and smiled at her. "If you give me a song of your realm, that blanket is yours."
"A song?" Harry asked, dubiously.
"You do have the better singing voice this life," Tom whispered to her.
"All right." Harry cleared her throat. She's been a performing artist more than once, so performing in public wasn't that much of a deal. She was just a little rusty. After giving it some thought, Harry sang 'These are the days of our lives' from Queen, which always reminded Harry of her and Tom's situation somehow. Tom sang along with the chorus while giving Harry a frankly sappy smile.
The merchant must also possess Allspeak, because he smiled softly as Harry sang. A small crowd formed around them as word spread Harry and Tom came from Midgard, which seemed like a true novelty to the elves.
"Bravo," the merchant said once Harry was done. "Thank you for your gift. Now please accept mine." And with steady hands the merchant gave Harry the blanket, which Harry accepted with a surprisingly shy smile.
"Thank you. This is the most beautiful blanket I've ever seen," Harry said sincerely, holding the folded blanket against her chest. "We will cherish it."
"I am beyond honoured my wares will make it all the way to Midgard."
Elves all around them gathered closer to take a look at their small Midgardian guests, and the Cloak around Harry's shoulders got a little flustered at all the sudden attention and folded Harry up tighter and tighter until Harry told it to knock it off.
A nearby restaurant owner insisted Prince Loki and his two Midgardian friends come dine in his establishment and they enjoyed a hearty meal of roasted meats and vegetables, served with a wine so sweet and fresh, Harry loudly exclaimed it the best drink she'd ever tasted, which earned her a full bottle to take home with them to Midgard.
"Thank you," Harry said to Loki when the day came to an end and they made their way back to the hill outside the town, to walk Yggdrasil back to earth. "This was amazing."
"You believe me now?" Loki said with a knowing little smirk. "Who I am?"
"Yeah, yeah," Harry said, suddenly a little embarrassed yet equally a little starstruck. This was Loki, God of Mischief! "You were always my favourite of all the Norse gods."
"Then can we come to an arrangement?" Loki asked expectantly.
"We'll show you ours if you show us yours," Tom said with a wink and a devious smile.
Loki laughed. "I do believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
And it was.
Kamar Taj, Kathmandu, 1223 A.D.
For seventeen years Loki visited them every year for at least a week, but often three or even four weeks. They spent many hours in the library, going over ancient texts together, followed by equally as many hours in the courtyard, where they demonstrated spells to each other and held practice duals, often under the watchful eye of the Ancient One, who was happy enough to let Loki learn their magic, as long as Harry and Tom wrote down all they learned from Loki in return and added it to the library so others could study these new kinds of magic as well.
It truly was an exchange of knowledge, which benefited everyone.
On a personal level, Harry and Tom gained a great friend in Loki. They learned that he was still quite young for a god, barely more than 200, but already an adult in the eyes of his people.
This was a good thing, because quite early on Harry and Tom decided to seduce him into their bed. After all, how often did you get a chance to bag an actual god? They both found him attractive and appreciated his intelligence and wicked sense of humour.
For the most part, Harry and Tom were happy to stay monogamous throughout their many lives, not desiring to bed others. But very occasionally, they came across a person they were happy to make an exception for, and Loki was such a person.
As it turned out, getting Loki into their bed didn't take much seducing, since he liked them both well enough and was curious about bedding humans, so their friendship quickly turned into a friendship with benefits.
And what benefits they were! Loki was a god, and had an absolutely divine stamina, not to mention a huge dick, and he had no problems completely satisfying two very eager and horny women many times a night.
Their yak-hair mattress was put to the test quite a few times over the years, while the elven blanket kept them warm afterwards as they snuggled together until sleep claimed them.
Every year, Harry and Tom eagerly awaited Loki's visits. The rest of the time they continued to travel the world looking for students, and teaching the students at Kamar Taj whenever they spent time at the temple.
But after seventeen years of visits like clockwork, Loki didn't show up.
"He's probably being held up by Odin," Tom said while they were curled around each other in their bed.
"Yeah. God knows Loki's complained about him and Thor often enough in the past. Odin might have sent him on some useless quest or given him an impossible task." Harry sighed, pressing a little closer to Tom. "I'm just worried something serious has happened. It sucks we can't just call him to see if he's all right."
Tom pressed a kiss to Harry's temple. "I know. We just need to be patient."
Loki showed up at Kamar Taj the next year, hale and whole and utterly exasperated because he wasn't alone. "Tom, Harry, this is my brother Thor and his friend Fandral."
"Mortals," Thor boomed, appearing larger than life in his red cape with his hammer in his hand. "Loki speaks well of you. It appears you have thrived under the Allfather's rule."
Fandral insisted on kissing both Harry's and Tom's hands, the smarmy bastard. "Loki certainly didn't mention the beauty of the females of this realm."
"Ugh," Harry said, wiping the back of her hand on her pants. "Just so you know, I'm this close to summoning a hippopotamus, pal."
"Please do," Loki muttered behind her with a straight face.
The visit was in one word a disaster. Thor insulted just about everyone he met without even realizing it, broke every cup or plate he got his hands on, and insisted humans ought to be extremely grateful for Asgard's rule. Fandral spent all his time trying to seduce every woman he met, the Ancient One included, and quite a few of the men as well. Harry ignored it until Fandral set his sights on a few of their twelve and thirteen-year-old female students and then she summoned a hippopotamus which soundly trampled a very surprised Fandral until Thor smooshed it with his hammer. Then there was blood and gore everywhere and a very exuberant Thor exclaimed he mightily enjoyed Midgardian sports.
Loki kept shooting everyone at Kamar Taj apologetic looks and smiles. He was a welcomed guest at their temple for many years now, and he clearly felt more than embarrassed at the behaviour of Thor and Fandral.
"Thor caught me sneaking away last year," Loki whispered to Harry and Tom during one of the very few quiet moments of his visit. "He demanded to come along this year or else he would inform Odin of my illicit trips to Midgard."
"So you weren't joking when you mentioned your brother is an arrogant tosspot," Harry whispered back.
"Alas, no." Loki could say no more because Thor was about to smash an ancient statue in the courtyard and Loki hurried over to stop him.
That visit was cut very short, but the next year Loki appeared as normal, without any unwanted guests that time. Both Harry and Tom gave him long hugs and lots of kisses and they spent a whole night getting reacquainted together. Harry had genuinely missed him, and she knew Tom felt the same, since they'd talked about it together a time or two.
It was a foundation of their relationship together. Tom and Harry loved each other so much, and were so sure of the love the other had for them, that the idea of developing feelings for someone else didn't jeopardize their own relationship in the slightest. Harry knew with certainty that no matter how much Tom might start to love Loki, she would never stop loving Harry because of it, and vice versa.
"We missed you," Harry whispered after they were physically spent, Harry and Tom snuggling against Loki from both sides. Loki had an arm wrapped around both of them, holding them close.
"I have missed you both, too," Loki replied while he looked between one and the other. "I have been able to spent time in the national library of Vanaheim this year and I've looked into your unique situation, but alas, I was unable to find anything useful."
They had told Loki about their endless cycle of reincarnation many years ago, and Loki had been intrigued and promised to scour every library he could in Asgard and the other realms to see if he could find anything useful for them. So far, no luck.
"We appreciate your help," Tom said, rubbing her cheek against Loki's chest, her eyes drooping shut.
"I will continue to look for information," Loki promised them before they all fell asleep.
That whole visit went as usual, with Loki spending two weeks with them. However, the next year there was no Loki, only a short note that appeared out of nowhere on their elven blanket one morning.
My dearest Harry and Tom,
Thor, in a fit of his usual rage, has told the Allfather about my trips to Midgard to study your magic. The Allfather has forbidden me to return, citing the humans' need for isolation because they are far too primitive to learn Asgardian magic. He literally compared humans to goats. I cannot return this year, and perhaps not for a few more years to come, but know that I am thinking of you both and that I will find a way to return to you as soon as I can.
Yours in utmost sincerity,
Loki
"Damn," Harry whispered around a lump in her throat.
Tom inhaled a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I wonder if Loki realizes how quickly humans actually age."
Harry stared at Tom with wide eyes. "Huh." Harry had just turned fifty, with Tom not far behind. Harry's black hair was starting to streak with grey and there were lines around her eyes and mouth, but she was still in excellent shape. The same was true for Tom. They were both very active and ate a healthy diet, and for the time they received pretty decent healthcare at the temple. Still, the times they lived in were challenging the older you got. People got all sorts of ailments that in modern times could easily be treated with medication or a simple surgery, but in the times Harry and Tom lived in might very well prove fatal.
Harry gave Tom a brave smile. "Let's hope Loki finds a way to come see us soon. He is the God of Mischief, after all. I'm sure he can manage something."
Kamar Taj, Kathmandu, 1254 A.D.
Loki showed up on a crisp October morning, thirty-one years after they'd seen him last.
Harry, an old woman of eight-one at that point, greeted him with a watery smile, her small frame slightly bent while she used a cane to support herself going up steps.
"Where's Tom?" Loki asked, obviously taken aback by the way Harry looked.
"Some fourteen years ago we had a bad flu season. It might even have been a new strain," Harry said, her voice cracking slightly. The Cloak gently pulled on her frail frame, urging her to sit down on a nearby bench in the entrance hall. That thing was a bigger mother hen than even Tom whenever Harry suffered from some malady. "Tom got pneumonia and died."
"No." Loki's face paled, his hands trembling as he pulled something out of thin air. "I've come too late." In his hands rested two golden apples.
"Oh, Loki," Harry said, a tear dripping down her cheek. "The Ancient One told me you'd visit one more time, that's why I stayed, to tell you personally what happened. But I have to follow Tom."
"Please," Loki said, lowering himself to his knees in front of Harry and pressing one golden apple in her wrinkled hand. "This apple will heal you, whatever ails you will disappear. Please stay."
For a moment, Harry could see it. They could sneak into the Ancient One's quarters, borrow the Eye of Agamotto and use the time stone within to save Tom from dying by giving him a golden apple. And then Harry and Tom could spend many years to come by Loki's side.
But somewhere deep inside her, Harry knew that wasn't what was supposed to happen. Tom was supposed to die, and Harry too, so they could be reunited again in a new life. As much as it pained Harry, she had to go and leave Loki behind. "I am so sorry, Loki. I wish I could stay, but I can't." She placed her trembling hand on Loki's strong one.
"I tried to come sooner," Loki said, gaze fixed on their joined hands. "But the Allfather sent me on at least a dozen diplomatic trips all over the nine realms, one after the other, claiming it was training for when Thor ascends the throne of Asgard and I become his main advisor."
"I don't blame you, Loki. Sometimes things don't go the way we want them to." Harry paused for a moment before delivering more bad news. "I'm dying."
Loki closed his eyes and bit his lip.
"I would prefer to die with someone I love by my side," Harry said, and Loki snapped his eyes open and stared at her in wonder, as if he was seeing something he'd never seen before. "Would you please do the honours, Loki?"
Loki nodded without hesitation. "Yes, of course."
"Good, then let's go. I want to see the mountains one last time." Harry forced herself to her feet, bones cracking and creaking. Loki gently grabbed her shoulder to steady her, while the Cloak helped her stay upright.
The Ancient One approached them before they reached the front door, looking not a day older than when Harry had first met her. Tom had figured out she became immortal by draining energy from the dark dimension, but that was her business. Harry refused to judge her for it.
"Loki, do not despair," Hilda said. Harry had finagled that name out of her years ago. "You will see Harry and Tom again. They will return to this world, though it will be many years."
"Really?" Harry smiled at her, genuinely happy with that news. "Well then, this won't be a goodbye, but a see you later."
"See you later, Harry," the Ancient One said, eyes suspiciously bright.
Harry nodded and let Loki guide her out the building. It took them ages and ages to get to the mountains, but Loki did not once complain about having to take tiny steps as not to get ahead of Harry. He did offer to carry her once.
"Are you fucking nuts?" Harry said while glaring up at him. "I've got legs. Old as they may be, they still work, so I'm using them."
But after an hour or two the Cloak got fed up and simply levitated her half a foot off the ground while moving forward.
"I swear, that thing gets sassier the older I get," Harry grumbled, but was secretively relieved since her back and her legs were killing her.
Loki laughed at her, and Harry cherished the sound.
Harry selected her favourite viewing spot of the snow-capped mountains. "I will never not be in awe of this sight," Harry said as she carefully lowered herself to the ground with Loki's and the Cloak's help.
"It is impressive," Loki agreed, sitting down beside her and wrapping a strong arm around Harry's small shoulders, pulling her close.
"The highest in our world," Harry said with a large amount of pride. "I'm so glad I got to see you again. I'll tell Tom, he'll be happy to hear you're doing all right, too. We've been so worried about you."
Loki nodded and buried his face in Harry's long grey hair. "Aren't you scared?"
"To die? Not anymore." Harry grabbed one of Loki's hands and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "I'm excited to see Tom again and curious what our next life will be like. It may be absolute shit or absolutely amazing." Harry pulled back a little so she could look at Loki, whose eyes were brimming with tears. "This was such a good life, and you were one of the main reasons for that. I'm so glad we got to meet you, Loki."
"I will miss you both," Loki whispered, pressing a few soft kisses to Harry's wrinkled face, his cheeks wet with tears.
"We will miss you, too, but we'll see you again. I'm sure of that." Harry's breathing was laboured at that point, her whole body aching. Harry suspected she had cancer, though what kind she wasn't sure. But she'd died of it more than a few times now and knew what it felt like. She'd spent all of her energy these last few weeks holding on until Loki came so she could say goodbye. She leaned heavier against Loki, the pain slowly retreating as her hearing went out. The Cloak wrapped around them both tightly, and Harry smiled as she stared at the mountains, Loki's lips pressed against her cheek, until that too faded away along with everything else.