If Found Please Return

Maria Hill/Loki

Maroki? TrickHill? Dunno, anyone got any better suggestions?

Apparently FrostGrenade is also used, though I don't see that as being specifically Hill. HillFrost works for me. I think I'll go with that one.

Theme song:

Noiseworks – Take Me Back

A week after Thor leaves the New Avengers Facility to find out what's going on in Asgard, he returns. With a tall, horribly familiar figure all in green and black by his side.

Loki has to run the gamut of Avengers, of course. Explain himself, and just why he's been masquerading as Odin. How Odin, now refreshed from a year-long sleep, has sent Loki to Earth to make amends for some of his past misdeeds.

Maria Hill happened to be there when Thor finally brought Loki into the facility; unaware of the commotion outside, they were talking in Jane's lab, having taken a liking to each other some time ago. Maria has developed a habit of wandering by every now and then with a snack or a drink for Jane. They were sipping coffee and Jane was talking maths when Thor came striding in.

"Lady Jane, look who I found on Asgard!"

Jane's mouth fell open as she stared at Loki, who gave her a rather tentative smile. "Hello again, Dr Foster."

Maria watched in amazement as Jane rushed across the lab and gave Loki a hearty smack across the face.

"What was that for this time?" the Trickster demanded with a half-smile.

"Letting Thor think you were dead, you insensitive oaf!" Jane half-shouted at him, before reaching out and hugging him around the waist, her head not even reaching his shoulder. "He cried," she mumbled against Loki's chest.

Loki patted Jane's head rather gingerly. "I'm sorry, Dr Foster. I – wanted to give Thor the freedom to be with you, if he so chose." He looked around as though hunting for an escape route, and his eyes fell on Maria. A slight frown creased his high, pale brow.

He's trying to place me, Maria thought. They'd seen each other once before; she'd been one of very few allowed into the outer containment room on the Helicarrier, and she hadn't been able to resist going in to have a look. Their eyes had met for the briefest of instants, but she could never forget that piercing blue gaze.

Except… his eyes were green. Clearly and distinctly, emerald-green.

"Welcome back, Thor," Maria said absently as Thor greeted her with his usual exuberant gallantry. Eyes still locked with Loki's, she asked "This is definitely your brother, you're quite sure of it?"

"Aye, there can be no mistake." Thor was clearly overjoyed about it, too.

"But his eyes were blue!"

"Ah," Thor nodded sadly. "Yes, the influence of the Mindstone was upon him then. I knew he would never willingly have done what he did otherwise; it was not until just recently that Loki told me the truth, though, when I told him that the Mindstone had been recovered and is now safe in Vision's keeping."

"Oh." Maria didn't know what to think, to that. She'd talked to both Clint and Helen Cho, both of whom had been controlled by the Mindstone. They had both had described it as an awful experience, like being trapped in a glass prison inside your own mind, watching helplessly as your skills were bent to the will of another. She didn't hold their actions against them, either of them. So – she supposed she had to forgive Loki, too.

Loki was moving away from Jane, who came rushing over to Thor then, leaping into his arms and plastering her mouth to his. Maria watched as Loki came over to her, walking with a long, easy stride, his long green cape flowing around him. Magnificent, she couldn't help but acknowledge silently. Like Thor, it was easy to see how men had once worshipped these beings as gods.

"I believe we have met before," Loki began, stopping in front of her, "and as I do not recall exactly when or where, I believe it must have been last time I came to Midgard. In which case, I almost certainly owe you an apology. I wronged everyone I met then, I fear."

Maria had intended to say that it wasn't his fault, but the words that came out of her mouth instead were; "You killed my best friend."

"Do you refer to the Son of Coul, the man with a habit of not staying dead?" Loki cocked his head, wondering if all Midgardian women were so fiercely defiant in the current day and age. He was beginning to agree with Thor that it was actually rather appealing. Except they seemed to have a most unladylike habit of slapping one to indicate their disapproval…

…his head rocked with the force of the punch.

Working his jaw, Loki blinked down at Maria, astounded by the force such a slender, delicate-looking woman had put behind the blow. She could really throw a punch. A moment later the completely different kind of pain in his chin registered and his green eyes flew wide, even as Maria started back, staring at her hand, at the runes etching themselves in across her knuckles.

"What the fucking hell is that?" she gasped.

"Unexpected," was all Loki could say as he stared at the Jotunn runes spelling out his name and lineage on her fingers. She looked up at him, blue eyes widening even further, and he wondered what the marks on his chin indicated.

Thor and Jane had separated, and the next thing they heard was Thor's booming laughter. "Ah, brother, a fine match for you! The Lady Hill will lead you around by the nose and no mistake!"

Jane was giggling too, and he could see his soulmate's lips beginning to twitch with amusement. Unable to resist any longer, Loki conjured an illusory mirror to see what mark he had been branded with.

If found, please return to Maria Hill.

With thanks to nerdy-kat and miss-moonstone for inspiring this in my chatroom earlier today