Chapter Two

It shouldn't have caused any tingle in his cells, but it sure did. It shouldn't have robbed him out of the air that ensured his existence, but his lungs gave out with an embarrassing audible huff. He coughed once, twice and flinched again when she gave out a yell, a distinct muffled command for him to get the hell out of the room that he had materialised in.

He tried, he really did exert his mind to coordinate his overly baffled senses, it was of no use. She was covered decently, but the mortal had apparently thought that the barest of cloth wouldn't suffice. A second later he willed himself to walk out, away from the dark haired lady who had indeed managed to get him off guard. His skin remained pristine, her red vapours hadn't marked him, yet, he still felt the presence of it licking the pelt of his arms.

He had to give due kudos to her, for her efforts to harm him, as if a mere mortal with enhanced powers from his own sceptre could really cause any kind of physical tinker to him. But he was amazed, which was a rarity in its own and so he leaned against the now shut door with a lopsided grin in his face, waiting for her to waltz out. He had to have a formal introduction, maybe even give her a little bow as applaud to her brave heart.

"You are a very complex..being" The man painted in red came in to his line of vision. His forehead along with various lines bore the symbol of his existence as an insignia, a stone that shimmered in a bright touch of gold. The raw power of it was almost lulling the God, a lure to step closer and grab the spirits of the infinity stone. It glowed, agonizingly mocking at his failure. He gave out a breath, burying his deep dark desires somewhere in the pit of his stomach and pledged to never drown in the crater of such petty temptations.

"Ah, the mind stone. Is that what you are? Just a bearer of the stone?" Loki asked. His silver tongue was never used in these many days and it deserved a release. 'Now' seemed like a better time, simply because, he was in a very good mood and he saw no cause to cease the play of his words.

"Aren't we all a bearer of something? Like you are the bearer of your soul, I'm the bearer of the stone"

Loki had to roll his eyes at that. Did they really believe that he still had a soul? His lips twitched, Volstagg would have laughed out loud at the irrational assumption and then would have probably resumed eating like a pig that he really is.

"What are you called as?" The God of mischief asked, intrigued by the being that strangely didn't have any ears framing his face. Loki leaned away from the door to get a better look at mystery that was standing before him without any flinch or a hesitation.

"I am Vision" His eyes gleamed with a subtle pride and the thirst, the yearning for knowledge was well reflected. It seemed odd, Loki had seen the blurred views of battle his brother had fought and it didn't sit well that the red drenched android in front of him was in fact worthy enough to lift Thor's hammer.

A hurt to his pride, he wasn't even able to move an inch when he had tried lifting it all those years back.

'Stupid metal weapon with a stupid test of worthiness' Loki accused.

"Vision? Of whose may I ask?"

"Mine." The stone imprinted android informed with firmness. It seemed as if Vision was trying to assess him, of his intentions to arrive at their abode unannounced. He seemed protective, maybe protective of the woman who had shrieked few minutes ago. Loki was still at the end of the calculative gaze and his pleasant time was almost drying up. That didn't feel good.

"You think you have no soul?" The door had opened without any creaks and the woman had stepped out with a grace that had once again managed to amaze the God clad in green. A second rolled by and his head gear built itself around his mind, like a shield. His thoughts were his own and he hated giving out the mayhem that tends to go around like a plague in his mind.

"You are unauthorised to look in to my mind, mortal" He said, there was a slight edge in his tone and his emerald eyes narrowed. His crown was more than just a fancy accessory; it was a real shield with horns and all, which wrapped and protected his mind waves from intangible forces.

"Just like you were unauthorised to enter my room when I was changing" She snapped. Sprouts of red anger lingered in the tips of her fingers, curls of beautiful crimson waiting to be unleashed, and it made him grin, impressed with her guts to stand tall against a God, against him. Didn't anyone tell her that it was a very bad idea to get in the wrong side of him?

"Wanda, calm down." There was the voice he had come looking for in the first place. It seemed rather odd to see the Captain dressed in casual attire, but the change had made him to look blended with the people around him, as if he could really not stand out in a crowd.

"Captain, It seems like you had a brawl with the man of Iron, and here I thought that you were the most level headed out of two" Loki smirked. It usually sent him to the core of blissful content just to see the tension, the dance of fury in the jaws of Rogers. It was a letdown to see him all riled with guilt, drenched in drips of remorse and not with anger.

"We had some difference of opinion. That's all" Steve pointed out and his eyes refused to meet the penetrating gaze of the God. It killed the too goody-goody captain to have chosen sides, but what had hurt him more were the broken words of Tony. 'So was I' the three words had been a fuel to his already burning inferno. It crushed his serum infused heart and it made him feel all lost in this dark labyrinth.

It felt cold.

"Sometimes it's really annoying to see the drama that you mortals brilliantly stage" Loki rolled his eyes, again. He completely hated the fact that here he was, babysitting the bunch of self called super heroes who whined and pouted.

"It wasn't completely my fault" The Captain mumbled and it looked even more pitiful than Tony's pout.

"Ha! I knew I smelled a cheap trick" The archer came in with an annoying smirk pasted in his face. It brought a small ribbon of lightness to the tensed ether that had encased upon them.

"And I was under an assumption that you retired." Loki stated. It seemed like a reunion, only in a way he never imagined it to be. The happenings were all ill lit and it killed him to see that he was not having his usual fun.

"I was"

"Hn." Loki arched his brow in a silent question. The Hawkeye however continued to chew on his gum and refused to answer or get involved in the on-going questioning session.

"Why did Wanda scream?" The ex-retired-S.H.I.E.L.D agent asked with a glint of delight and drips of mocking spilling in his eyes.

"Uh-"His silver tongue had gone all heavy, he was truly speechless and her name seemed so foreign to him, like a temptingly decadent allure that was dancing in front of him in its glory.

'Wanda'

"Who is he?" The woman whose name was caressing Loki's tongue, asked. It kind of edged him that the mortal was without the knowledge of his existence. He almost felt insulted.

"His name is Loki. He is from the realm of eternal, Asgard and the brother of Thor. He had visited this realm twice with malicious thoughts. He is formally known as God of mischief and is said to have a wife by the name of Sigyn. He is also rumoured to have given birth to an eight legged horse" The strange being who had proclaimed himself as a bearer of the stone answered.

"Okay, the last two definitely didn't happen. It's a rumour, a false source of Fandrall and Lady Sif who have some hatred issues against me." Loki grimaced and heard a chuckle form Wanda. It sounded too mellifluous, like a tiny chirm of the richest bells in the shrines and it almost made him soar away to blend with the air itself. She looked beyond beautiful, a definite cast out in the world of ordinary. Her eyes were lit with a kiss of tawny shade, so painfully hypnotizing. Her long curved lashes almost smudged her cheeks. His palm was already fisted, trying so hard not to reach out and trace those small dried craters in her lips that resembled streaks of richest ornate.

'Oh, dear Odin! I'm smitten! Aren't I?' Shame washed over him like a retreating tide, to have almost succumbed to such lowly desires. He was a God and even though Thor had been a complete idiot to fall head over heels for a tiny mortal woman, he was in no way to be reduced to that. Besides, he would never disgrace his legacy, his royal blood line. He was sure that Heimadall would be snickering by now, having a good show at his pitiful attempt to defend his status.

Her brows narrowed with a dip in the centre. Maybe she was trying to look in to his mind again. He could feel the soft brushes of her tendrils against the walls of his brain, it was teasing him, tickling him to give in and he was amazed yet again by the sheer power she embraced, to almost push his head gear out of the way. It pulled him and it took everything he had to not fall.

Yup, he was definitely smitten.

~.~.~

A/N : Thanks for the response :)

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