Author's Note1: Oh, Genevieve, I'd love to write for the next movie. But you'd have to talk to the great god Joss about that! Heck, I'd love to write for any of Joss's projects. Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. I'd love to give each and every one of you a hug!

Author's Note2: I'm glad I got this out in time before my break. Now it really will be until the 21st or thereabouts before I've got computer access to update again. Sorry, hang in there, there's lots more story to come!

Author's Note3: For those avoiding the smexy, after you've read the part with Helblindi, do a 'find' on 'Steve' to take you beyond the smexy to the plot important end piece. Everyone else, ENJOY the smexy!

… ..

'Other things'. Kara decided she liked the sound of that. Particularly given the very sexy way he had drawled the phrase. They reached their door a moment later and Loki held it open for her, then closed it behind them. "Like sleeping?" she teased, earning herself a mock glare. "I've been fighting to stay awake for over an hour."

Loki frowned and she felt concern run through him. "Are you truly too tired, love? Could the thought of finally being able to love each other without worries about the truth of our feelings or the likelihood of being torn apart forever at any moment not tempt you into staying awake a bit longer?"

"That…actually. Huh. We haven't ever been able to be together without any of that hanging over our heads, have we?" She smiled as he pulled her close and held her tightly. "Maybe it won't be as exciting?"

"Kara, seriously? Lovemaking with you will always be exciting." He smirked as she looked up at him with a bemused expression. "After all, I court danger every time I make you forget yourself."

"Oh, now you're teasing." Pushing away she headed for the bedroom with a purposeful swing to her hips. "Do we need to send for someone to help me out of this thing?" she asked as he followed her in.

"Hmm. Normally, I'd simply use magic and get it off of you in an instant. I suppose I should practice doing it the hard way as that's what I'll be forced to do beginning tomorrow."

"Oh, I don't know, I think the hard way could be more fun. Make a game out of it," she told him. "Take something off of me, and then I'll take something off of you."

"Sounds frustrating." Loki moved closer and lifted the circlet off of her head and then loosed the pins that held her hair back, smiling as the thick waves cascaded down to her shoulders. "Hmm, this has possibilities," he realized as he tugged at the laces that held the bodice tight around her torso. The overdress loosened and he watched avidly as her breasts shifted with the reduction in constriction. "Arousing possibilities."

"My turn," she whispered huskily as she undid the fastenings on the garment that was a cross between a jacket and a tunic and then pushed it off of his shoulders. He let it drop to the floor and did the same with her overdress. She loosened the ties in the front of his under tunic so that it could be lifted over his head and pressed a kiss at the base of his exposed throat.

"Ah, are we supposed to accompany this with kisses? You did not tell me that rule," he scolded.

"There are no real rules other than to enjoy the process." She took the hem of the tunic in her hands and pulled it up and forward as he cooperatively bent toward her and lifted his arms. When it reached his hands, he took it from her and tossed it on top of the jacket. "We're making a mess," she told him as she rubbed her palms across his bared pectorals and kissed a trail down his sternum until he pulled away.

"Here in Asgard, we have servants. They can tidy it later. We'll worry about messes when we return to Midgard." He untied the cord that held the gathered neckline of the underdress closed and began kissing and licking her shoulders as it slowly drifted off of them. She let the golden garment catch on her arms as he continued to mouth down to the white silk shift beneath. "Too many layers," he complained as he pushed the underdress off of her arms and lifted her out of the garments that were now pooled about her feet and set her down closer to their bed.

"You are still wearing breeches. It's the same number of layers, they're just in different areas," she informed him as she undid the lacing of the garment in question. "And you are wearing boots. I can kick off my slippers before you can get those off."

Loki smiled and turned them around so that he could sit on the bed. "Good point, my love. Tug this one off for me?" he asked with a suspiciously sweet expression as he lifted one leg.

She'd leaned forward to comply before realizing she'd be flashing her breasts under the loose material of the shift. "Sneaky," she told him as she caught sight of his smirk. "But well within the lack of rules."

"Yes, since I am enjoying the process very much, sweet Kara," he agreed. She tossed the one boot over by his pile of clothing and he lifted the other leg up so she could do the same with its boot. "Now, about that shift," he began as he reached down for its bottom and pulled it up and over her head as he stood. With his height, he was easily able to pull it off of her without her needing to bend. "Much better," he said, pulling her close so that her already excited nipples pressed against his upper abdomen. "Yes, I do like this game very much. We will play it again," he decided.

"I'll consider it," she told him as she tugged his breeches down over his undergarment. Pulling back she managed to get the pants over his narrow hips and down his thighs and finally to the floor. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side as she cupped his bulging erection through his undergarment. "You weren't kidding about enjoying it," she smiled.

"Let's be done with the game, my love," he rasped, pulling his undergarment off and tossing it on top of the remainder of his discarded clothing before reaching for hers. "I need my wife naked in my arms."

Kara gasped as he ripped off her final article of clothing and dropped it on the floor. "Impatient much?"

"I have never claimed patience. Perseverance, certainly, but not patience."

"Fine, but you have to explain how you ruined my undies." She giggled at Loki's curious frown. "Short for undergarment," she clarified.

"I will explain nothing, I do what I want, and what I want, right now, is you in our bed."

Smirking, she sidestepped as he reached for her and twisted out of his reach. "Make me," she challenged.

… …

"Minx. Come, now. You're tired, you don't have the energy for this." Loki groaned as he reached for her and she danced to the side with a mischievous smile.

"I've found my second wind. Can you catch me without your magic? To make it fair, I won't use any of my abilities," she offered.

Silly chit. Even with the changes to her body, she was still nowhere near his speed or strength. He eyed her carefully, watching as she edged first one way and then darted another until he saw the unconscious pattern of her movements. Just as she made her next move, he dashed into her path. The incredulous expression on her face when she crashed into his chest made him laugh outright. "You'll never be as fast or as strong as I, magic or no magic, darling wife."

"True." He ran his hands through her hair as her arms crept around his waist and she snuggled into his chest. "But tell me this, husband," she said, emphasizing the word. "Did you have fun chasing me?"

His jaw dropped. "You…yes, I did." Bending slightly, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. "So the point of this is that I can have fun without magic?" he asked.

Kara rolled her eyes as he laid her in the middle of the mattress and settled down on one elbow beside her. "No, the point is that we will always have fun together, because love and caring are all that will ever matter. Which is a good thing since we're stuck with each other for over a hundred years."

Stuck with him? Loki frowned. Surely she didn't feel…he looked up as her fingers tapped his lips sharply. He looked into her eyes and smiled slowly as he saw the love and teasing light that filled them. "Correction, my lady. We are not stuck with each other for a hundred years, we both agreed to forever."

"Hmm," she began as her fingers trailed over his chin, down his neck and began tracing random patterns on his chest. "I don't know if forever will be long enough."

… …

"I thought you gone," Helblindi said as he came face to face, more or less, with Malekith, leader of the Svartálfar. He wouldn't dignify the accursed one with the title of king, he'd done naught to earn it.

"Odin would like me gone," Malekith agreed with a cruel grin. "But I still have dead to reclaim."

He leaned back against the wall and stared down at the half dark, half pale face of the ugly bastard whose expression seemed set in a perpetual sneer. "What do you care for your dead? They failed." Shrugging one shoulder negligently he continued. "You care not even for the living of your people unless they bring you more power."

"Do not speak of what you do not understand," the dark-hearted Álfar hissed. "As if you have served your people well."

"My people will reap benefits from my interactions with the Æsir. You cannot say the same."

"Benefits? A few paltry goods, while your realm warms and dies? How is that a benefit?"

"Loki will repair the damage to our ice fields. Odin has given him leave to use the Casket of Ancient Winters to restore them. We will come back from this and flourish with a new treaty and alliance with Asgard."

"If Loki doesn't use his magic to finish the job and destroy you all while he is there. You are a fool, Helblindi, and you call yourself a prince. Hah!"

"I am not that trusting. The remainder of his magic will be well bound. There will be so surprises from my half-brother." Helblindi glared down at the power-hungry fiend with annoyance. "Is there a point to all of this or are we done here? I tire of listening to your voice."

Malekith's venomous expression hardened. "We're done here, Prince Helblindi. You have been warned; if you wish to bow to Asgard, your realm's demise is on your head." Helblindi shook his head at the Svartálfar's overly dramatic pronouncement and returned to the guest chambers that Odin had thoughtfully provided with an enchantment that kept the rooms at a comfortable temperature for him and his men.

… …

Kara luxuriated in the sensations as Loki's hands and mouth touched, stroked and cherished every inch of her body. She shivered as he playfully licked the outer edge of her ear and then nipped the lobe. A moan escaped as long fingers delved between her folds to demand entrance to her already dampening sex. His mouth moved to claim the peak of one breast as he thrust two digits deep inside, playing and twisting until her natural fluids began to soak his hand. His pace was leisurely tonight as suited their trust that there would, finally, be a tomorrow for them. Twisting his hand slightly, he teased her clit with his thumb, alternating between gentle strokes and firm pressure until her insides began to churn with the need for… "More," she begged.

Releasing her nipple his face lifted. A smug little grin curved his lips. "More, what, sweet wife?" She groaned as he thrust particularly hard into her sex. "More of that?" Next he leaned forward and bit down sharply on her other nipple, earning a startled yelp. "Or that?" His free hand moved to encircle her throat gently, and that damn smirking mouth descended upon her own, possessing it utterly. His tongue teased hers, exploring and demanding a oral response just as his hands demanded response from her sex.

When he finally gave her a chance to speak, she could only gasp, "All of it," before she was reduced to a needy whine. Loki chuckled and abandoned his efforts and she whimpered at the loss of those talented fingers. "Lo-ki!" she cried out, as she dropped back down from the edge of an orgasm. "Don't stop!"

"Oh, love, we've just begun," he promised. Both hands moved beneath her and he shifted to his back, lifting and turning her so that she straddled his torso, just below his shoulders. Stretched full length atop him she could reach his swollen cock. "I want you to make me come, Kara. And I want you to take it all." She felt his arms slide under her legs, lifting her bottom half slightly, and she could feel the ends of his hair against her widespread thighs. His warm tongue stroked her slit and she gasped. "Don't worry, I shan't neglect your pleasure," he promised.

Loki had never let her finish him orally. He'd always gotten too carried away with the need to be inside of her…to 'fuck that sweet quim' as he put it when he was being crude to try and make her blush. She wasn't sure if she could manage it, but damn, she was going to give it her best effort. "You'd better not, or yours will get interrupted." She wrapped her hand around the base of his erection and trailed her tongue up the length before he could retort. He jerked beneath her and then laughed softly, the sound trailing off into a groan as she took him as far into her mouth as she could manage, tightened her lips around his circumference and pulled back slowly.

"Gods, Kara. Keep that up and you'll finish me."

She lifted her head and stared back at him. "I thought that was the plan?" Smiling as his head dropped back she took him in hand…uh, mouth, again and began to lick around the hardened column. His abdominal muscles rippled beneath her encouraging her to begin working in earnest to bring him to climax.

… …

Loki wondered how he was going to manage to pleasure his wife when she was driving him insane with that amazing mouth. Every time he collected himself enough to begin teasing her dripping quim she'd either nip him, lick him in a particularly sensitive spot, or do something else that made his muscles spasm with the excitement of it. He finally settled for playing idly in her canal with the fingers of one hand and stroking and pinching the sweet bud of her clit with the other. Those activities he could manage to resume in a reasonable amount of time after each jolt of sensation shook him. Kara was moaning around his aching staff as if the feel of it in her mouth was an exceptional treat. Though perhaps she saw it as such. He'd been encouraging her to be open and enjoy both the giving and receiving of stimulation. He gasped as she repeated the maneuver that had almost finished him before she'd really started. "Damn, love," he managed. "You…" he trailed off with a groan as she repeated it again and gently squeezed his sac with the hand that didn't have a firm grip about the base of his cock.

"You're loving that, admit it," she teased then returned to driving him insane with the need to thrust. He grabbed her hips, intending to flip her and give into that now urgent need but froze as she squeezed his sac harder. "Oh no…you're finishing in my mouth this time, you promised."

"Demanding chit," he laughed, letting his head drop back as she returned to driving him insane. "Gods, I…" he gasped as she finished her latest long pull up his length with a swirl of her tongue on the tip followed by another sharp nip. "Kara!" He shuddered as she plunged him deep into her mouth again, his vision beginning to blank out under the onslaught of pleasure. Her half strangled moan alerted him that he had unconsciously begun to thrust up into her throat. "Sorry, love," he gasped.

"Don't be," she managed. "Go ahead, let go, you won't hurt me." He moaned as she took him deep and, taking her at her word, allowed the sensations to overwhelm his caution again. The pleasure built with each slide past those tightly clamped lips and he groaned every time his tip hit the back of her throat. He could feel his hips lifting and clutched her thighs as the pressure built inside of him. Her hungry gasps and moans vibrated around him and he felt his sac lift and tighten in her soft, firm grasp.

It. Was. Too. Much. Her hands abandoned the base of his cock and his sac and he felt her fingers grip under his thighs as he continued to thrust up. She held on tightly, as if she was determined to finish this ride with him…for him. Gods he loved this woman. His vision dimmed again as the tension overwhelmed him, the only thought that he could verbalize was her name. "Kara!"

… …

It was almost too much, she couldn't hold him back from going too deep in her mouth any longer without getting bucked off. She'd grabbed his legs to prevent that but found herself close to choking as more of his hard length thrust back into her throat, triggering her gag reflex. That pressure seemed to bring him even more pleasure if his whimpering moan was anything to judge by so she decided to let it happen. After the first two throat thrusts she found herself able to handle it without panic and returned to clamping her lips and pressing her tongue tightly against his thrusting length. His entire body was tensing beneath her and the thrusts became more shallow and more powerful…then he was yelling her name and hot, thick cum was filling the back of her throat as he came. She swallowed as much as she could, but felt some leaking out of the corners of her mouth as his body finally dropped limply back onto the bed. "Kara," he said again, softly this time.

Kara pulled off of his slightly softened staff and licked off the drops of cum that glistened on the head. It jerked at the touch making her smile. Closing her mouth tight on the last bit of cum she slid off of him and turned so that she could press her lips to his. He blinked up at her and she raised an eyebrow. It took a minute, but he finally realized what she was up to and grinned, then opened his mouth to her. His tongue met hers as she took the invitation and she kept her mouth fused to his as the last of his cum dripped inside. They played, mouth to mouth until the last of her prize had been delivered then he shifted to lay her comfortably against his side. "I love you," she told him.

"I've never doubted it," Loki said. He frowned suddenly. "Well, not since you returned to the tower after I'd driven you away." She smiled and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "I am sorry that I didn't admit my feelings to you sooner. I realize now that it was stupid, but I had this thought that if you didn't think I loved you, then my loss would be easier for you to handle. I know that was wrong, but…"

"You were trying to protect me, I know. It's okay. If I'd really wanted to know for sure I would have read you. I refused because you were right, it did, in a way, make it more tolerable." She thought about it and then sighed. "On second thought, no, it didn't. What it did was keep me from bugging Jane and Erik to find me a way to Asgard so that I could kick your father's ass."

He laughed. "That's my Hellbringer."

… …

Steve groaned as he staggered down the corridor. He was perfectly sober, as usual. Unfortunately Tony and Clint were not. He had an arm under each of them and they each had one arm draped over his shoulder as he maneuvered them towards their rooms. It wasn't a pretty process and it was taxing even his patience. Thor and his Asgardian friends were no help, they were all pretty nearly as sloshed as his fellow Avengers. Not that the alcohol affected them as much, it was just that each of them had out drank even Tony by at least two to one. "Crap," he muttered as Tony stumbled yet again. "I should just set you down, get Clint back and then come carry you in."

A soft chuckle came from behind him. A glance over his shoulder revealed Odin's councilor, the one who had spoken for the Tribunal. "May I be of assistance, Captain Rogers?" Haakun asked.

He'd seen the man mingling with the other guests all night long, drinking little and talking a lot. The few times he'd been close enough to overhear he'd been skillfully convincing doubters that the 'punishment' issued to Loki was harsher than it appeared and would result in strong ties with Midgard and would improve relations with Jötunheim. The other attendees had agreed that good relations with Midgard would be a good idea, particularly since many of them had now heard how Tony had wiped out a Chitauri mother ship and a good portion of a fleet using just one nuke out of the thousands in the world's arsenals. "Yes, sir. That would be appreciated," he said as he moved to the wall and leaned Clint against it. "Could you give Hawkeye a hand? He's okay to walk, he just needs a bit of support and guidance to keep him going in the right direction."

"Of course." Haakun grabbed Clint's arm as he started to slide down the wall and placed it over his own shoulder. "Come on, Clint Barton," he said. Steve was impressed the man remembered their full names. "Time to get to your bed and sleep it off."

"No bed…nest," Clint slurred. Steve rolled his eyes as he hefted a now virtually unconscious Tony over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Yes, Clint, that's what he meant," he told the drunken archer. "Just humor him," he directed to Haakun. "He likes high places, but we'll put him in the regular bed and bar the door to his room. When he's sober enough to figure out how to get out of there, he'll be okay to climb up to his nest, as he calls it without me worrying about him falling out of it."

The councilor laughed as they started on their way down the corridor. "I like the way you think, Captain. Does the man of iron need a healer? Our mead is much more potent than any of your brews. It may be more than his system can handle."

Steve blew out a frustrated breath. "You know, on any other one of us, I'd say yes. But Tony is, well, accustomed to overloading his system. Honestly, I don't know how he functions on all of the stuff he drinks, but he manages pretty well. I'll check him a little closer once he's in bed, but I think he'll be okay."

"You drank nearly as much as this one," Haakun said, tilting his head toward Clint. "Why do you seem unaffected?"

He hated this question, but he didn't want to lie about it. "Um, well, sir, my strength and such is a result of scientific experimentation. Along with everything else it altered my metabolism and alcohol no longer has any effect on me. I could probably drink Thor under the table and maybe, just maybe feel it just a little bit. But I doubt it."

"Frustrating, I imagine. Though I'm certain it has its uses." They walked silently for a few moments, then the Æsir spoke again. "Captain, I wanted to have a word with you, as this group's leader."

Steve sighed. "Honestly, I'm more a coordinator than a leader. We're a bunch of really independent-minded people. Our being able to work together so well is nothing short of a miracle."

Haakun chuckled. "That sounds much like the heroes of Asgard. We are truly not so different a people as we like to think. Well, then. As their coordinator, I would ask this," he said as they managed to get inside the rooms and Haakun closed the door behind them. "What do you truly think of Loki's sentence? We assumed much by inflicting him upon you, I know."

"Give me a second here." He carried Tony into his bedroom and let him slide off of his shoulder and onto the bed. The hard-drinking billionaire's heart beat strongly, his pulse was normal and his breathing steady. "I think he'll be okay, but I'll bunk in there with him and keep an eye on him just in case, he told Haakun and then led him into Clint's assigned room. He helped the Æsir get Clint settled on the bed and then blocked the door shut with a chair as they left. "Let's sit down for a minute, okay?"

Haakun nodded and joined him in what Steve thought of as the living room, though he figured it was called something else entirely in Asgard. "Have you even had time to think about it all yet?" he asked.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it all evening. I'm not going to kid you, our government is going to have a total conniption. There are going to be calls to imprison him, execute him, make him stand trial at the World Court in Nuremburg, all sorts of stuff like that. But I know there are legal grounds to prevent that. Tony mentioned it before the feast, it would be what they call 'double jeopardy', it's a law where you can't stand trial for the same crime twice."

"And you think this will do the trick?"

"Well, I don't know. But Tony is, well, he's wealthy like you almost can't believe. He's got lawyers all over the place, the best that money can buy, and I think they can pull it off. And Loki will still have us. Tony also said that before it can get to a legal challenge, we'll do what he called 'try it in the court of public opinion'. That means we'll get the evidence that we have out there. We'll do interviews on our communications networks telling them what we told all of you about Loki really doing all he could to help. Then we can play up the whole Loki and Kara love story. Most humans are suckers for a good love story." He shrugged. "I mean, seriously…people love us. They trust us, and if they see us accepting him, most of them will be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Most, but not all."

"Well, no. There are always haters, and then there will be people who lost someone that will have a good reason to be bitter. And yeah, I'm going to quote Tony again and believe you me, he's going to get an earful from me when he's sober about not being with it enough to explain all this stuff himself. Tony says that we should set up a reparations fund. Compensate the victims' families generously for loss of income and expenses for funerals, burial and such. That will help. And financial help with the people struggling with damage from the invasion will make it easier too."

"And if what Thor tells us is true, there are issues on your world, powerful enemies of the people who regularly make trouble. Once Loki begins helping all of you to address these ills, that should also make a difference."

"Oh, heck yes. Once he does that, they'll start seeing him as a hero. Well, not right away, but eventually. We'll probably have to play it up, let him take the burden of the protecting for a while so people can see how much he's doing. But eventually, they'll let the hurt and anger go and accept him."

Haakun nodded. "That is encouraging. But tell me, Captain Rogers. What do you, personally, think of the sentence?"

Steve chuckled. The guy had gotten back to it. That was okay, he decided. Telling him the rest had given him time to think about it. "I'm okay with it. I know Dr. Gunnarssen…uh, Kara, has been good for him. And you know, he's been good for her. She was distant before he came. Nice to everyone, caring and all, but she was afraid to get close, afraid she'd hurt people. Loki changed all that. When Thor took him back, she lost it. Totally wiped out her entire suite, all of the furniture, with her fire, just trying to get the agony out of her system so that she could deal with the loss. I spoke to Loki briefly before he left…I-I was gone on assignment most of the time he was there. He'd really changed, and I'm not giving you any tall tales here. And I guess I'm a sucker for a love story too."

The councilor's smile was wide and he stood, shaking his head with a rueful expression. "Ah, Captain. So are we."

… …