Author's Note: Please review, or just favourite or follow this story, please! Thanks for reading, darlings!

Please understand that this would not be the typical Loki love story. Meaning that the girl would not be the innocent, good little saint and our favourite villain would not 'turn good'. They will not be enemies and the girl would not say things like 'No, I will never help you! You evil monster! Good always wins!' Yucks... Well, I promise a happy ending for both of them, okay?

Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or Thor. If I did, all the Avengers would have been tortured to death by a thousand Crucios and Sectumsempras. The Hulk would have been left to burn in Tartarus to pay for his unforgiveable crime of hurting Loki. Thor would have been forced to endure ridicule of the people on the streets by eating slugs in public. And above all, Loki would have ruled the Nine Worlds and had a perfectly evil powerful girlfriend and a happily ever after!

I am Loki of Asgard,

and I am burdened with

glorious purpose...and a frozen heart.

I am Sapphira of Hades,

and I am burdened with

glorious purpose...and a frozen heart.

/^Frozen Hearts^\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

For almost the first time ever, Sapphira must honestly admit to herself that she-who-cannot-feel herself was surprised.

Genuinely shocked, actually. But the fact would explain so much.

She could feel the man - Loki's careful gaze on her, as if waiting for laughter or an outburst. But Sapphira merely shrugged lightly before a rare, small smile crept to her perfect lips. 'A Norse God? I am surprised. I was taught that you do not exist, only the Greek divinities do. Must talk to my father about it soon.'

'You are not afraid.' It was more of a statement.

'No.. Why should I be?' Sapphira replied, smirking.

A silenced followed that answer.

'Who are you really?' He asked finally, 'Somehow I find it hard to believe that you would be a Midgardian mortal.'

'I am no mortal, Lord Loki.' She sounded the slightest bit insulted, 'Nor am I a Midgardian, as you call it. I am the daughter of Morpheus, the Greek God of Dreams. You may not have heard of me as a goddess, that's because I am technically a demi-goddess. My mother was a very powerful sorceress, and I am blessed with more powers than all the other pure-blooded deities.'

'Ah, I see, that explains the poppy flower...' He drawled, but Sapphira can see the surprised and impressed emotions dancing in his beautiful eyes for the briefest moment, 'Funny, Odin said that you Greeks do not exist as well. What a coincidence.'

She chuckled, this one's sense of humour was dry and sarcastic, just like her own. 'Coincidence indeed. So you are the adoptive brother of Thor the Oaf, I presume? No offense.'

Loki laughed darkly. 'None taken. I rather agree with the title you gave him, though, most fitting.' Then his eyes seemed to sparkle, 'I wonder, what are you the goddess of?'

Sapphira raised her head higher proudly. 'It is still not completely decided, but in all probability I will be the Goddess of Ice, Hearts and Illusions, a.k.a. of cruelty, control and deception.'

'Oh, how so?' He raised an elegant eyebrow and she sighed.

'A curious one, aren't you? Just feel my body temperature. Here, touch my hand.' Sapphira raised her hand toward him, giving Loki a wonderful glimpse at her long, slender fingers and dark purple nails.

He locked her eyes with his and carefully placed his hand on hers. The moment their skin touched, Sapphira gasped, her eyes widening. Their body temperatures were almost exactly the same below-freezing temperature, but that was not important. What made her floating with happiness was that... Wait, since when did she ever feel happy after the Ice Curse? There was a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest that made her feel warmer. Strange. Loki's eyes mirrored equal shock - did he feel it too? Sapphira prayed that this wonderful moment will not end, happiness felt the best thing in the world! She smiled widely.

'Your eyes...' He whispered in near awe, 'They are not icy anymore. The white-blue tints in them are gone, they are fully sapphire blue now. How...?'

He took his hand off and Sapphira inhaled sharply. She can literally feel her heart freezing once more and the brief emotion was gone. Fortunately enough, she did not miss it, but she cannot help but think that the empty feeling she felt everyday was not as nice as an actual feeling.

She smiled emotionlessly at Loki, both her cold demeanor and the Mischief God's aristocratic arrogance returning. 'My hearts is frozen, Loki. It has been like that for the past five centuries, so I do not have to feel human emotions. But when our skin made contact, however, it seems that the Ice Curse has temporarily broken. Most curious, don't you think? And why is your body temperature as low as mine? You are obviously not cursed like me.'

A slightly sad look crossed the god's handsome features. 'Well, that would explain your unnatural lack of reactions. And I am not really an Asgardian, you see, I'm - '

'Oh, right, a Frost Giant, I almost forgot.' Sapphira muttered carelessly.

'How did you know that?' Loki asked suspiciously.

'Read some books, Norse!' She snapped.

'Well, I, unlike you obviously, Greek, do not enjoy wasting time in reading stupid Midgardian books!' He shot back.

Two pairs of icy blue eyes glared at each other for a few minutes. Sapphira, however, was satisfied, as usual, when she played her usual assume-I-can-actually-feel game. She had learnt through experience to fake some almost emotions to ease the emptiness within.

'Well, aren't you going to show me?' She asked finally, tone light and uncaring.

'Show you what?'

'Your true self, of course. I would like to see it.' Sapphira said quietly, ignoring the incredulous stare Loki was giving her.

'I don't think so. I had barely met you, why should I? After all, you are going to call me a monster soon enough, so why demand to torture yourself with something more disgusting?' He sounded cold and careless but she noticed the almost pain in them. Sapphira briefly wondered what it would be like to feel emotional pain.

'I would never call you a monster, Loki. Who do you think I am, a saint? Nay, I'm a heartless murderer.' She rolled her eyes. Never have thought that the God of Lies would be so childish.

'I don't doubt that. Why else would I bring you in here instead of killing you on sight?' He smirked. 'If you are really who you claim to be, I can use your assistance.'

Sapphira looked at him calculatingly through natural long think eyelashes. 'And, pray tell, dear prince, what is it in for me?'

Loki, apparently, had expected the question and had prepared for it thoroughly. 'You mentioned that you are still a demi-goddess...'

'Yes...?'

'What if, say, I can let you become a full goddess?' He purred, slyly touching Sapphira's face, making skin contact.

She quickly slapped his hand off before the emotions can start to set in. The last thing she needed right now was to allow emotions cloud her judgement of probably one of the most important deals in her life.

Loki hymphed in irritation but did not try again. 'Well?'

'How would you know,' Began Sapphira slowly and carefully, 'that becoming a full goddess is not what I desire most?'

He paused for a second. 'Tell me, then, what is your biggest desire?'

She hesitated. Can she risk to tell Loki about her situation - how Zeus wanted her dead, how she craved to take over the world, and how Olympus was doomed to fall at her hand? She did not fancy the idea of trusting anyone, let alone the God of Lies. But certainly, Sapphira reasoned, it would not hurt to inform him of the general situation but leave out the important details.

'Taking over the mortal world, of course.' She answered finally, 'Those ignorant muggles are born lower than us. They do not deserve to rule, they can only be ruled.'

'I most certainly agree.' Loki replied at once, before smirking. 'In fact, you would be glad to know that we have exactly the same goal.'

A truly evil smile crept its way to Sapphira's lips. 'Excellent. So if I help you, we will rule the world together, as equals, and you will make me completely immortal?'

His expression was fierce and determined. 'Then, do we have a deal?'

'We have a deal.' Sapphira's voice rang clearly as the Unbreakable Vow was automatically casted between them, magical lights intertwining their fingers before they disappeared all together.

The deal was struck.

A deal that would change the future of the Nine Worlds - and their own.

'Good, then,' Loki said in satisfaction, 'now we are officially allies, we can share our information.'

'I do not think it is wise,' Sapphira replied immediately, 'you are the God of Lies; you can betray me in a second. I am the Goddess of Deception; I can betray you in a blink. Trust is not possible. Not. Possible.'

'Ah, but you forgot the rules of the Unbreakable Vow: The two that made the Vow must honour their words. The two that made the Vow must not seek to break it... Blah, blah, blah... If it is a Vow of alliance and friendship, the two that made the Vow must be true toward each other. They cannot not tell others of the secrets that hid in both of them. They cannot betray each other... So you see, no risk really.'

Sapphira was almost fuming. So she cannot use Loki's secrets against him?!

'I...see. That is wonderful. I am most relieved.' She forced out drily and he grinned at her smugly.

'Well in that case, do you have something you wish to tell me, ally?' Loki asked confidently.

I am not going to tell him any of my secrets. Sapphira thought but her eyes widened as an invisible, irresistible force commanded her lips open. She gulped, trying to fight it, but to no use. 'I am destined to overthrow Zeus and he wanted me dead but he do not even know I am alive I can feel the power of the Tasseract and I want to know what it is I want that power!'

Sapphira gritted her teeth as Loki smiled. 'Well, isn't that interesting?'

She breathed deeply before she smiled slyly herself. 'Tell me the reason why you want to rule Midgard, what exactly is the Tasseract, ally.'

Ooh, she was going to enjoy this very, very much.