Day Four: Striped

Having been introduced to Easter recently, Thor was in the holiday spirit, dyeing eggs and decorating the palace with bright colors that Jane had deemed "Easter appropriate". When the plastic eggs weren't colorful enough for the prince, he took it upon himself to hand paint their shiny exteriors, adding bands of pink and blue and yellow wherever he wanted, the concentration gleaming in his eyes as Jane, stifling her laughter, sat beside him, watching her husband paint the stripes of orange with love shining in her gaze. Loki hadn't been too interested, when at first he'd heard of his brother's hopes for celebration, and that, coupled with his sister-in-law's expectant expression, only strengthened Thor's resolve.

Sif had remained blessedly uninvolved, and the trickster found himself looking to her for counsel, completely baffled by how the goddess had managed to worm her way out of the direction of Thor's pleading, puppy dog eyes. When he at last asked her, she smiled, her light eyes shining from within, the dark strands of her hair tucked behind her ears.

"When he tried to rope me into dyeing the eggs, I smashed one against a wall. He didn't ask again."

Loki, after laughing for half an hour upon seeing Thor again, the story fresh in his mind, was ready to throw quite a few eggs against a wall when Easter finally came, swearing he could see the colorful dye still staining his pale fingers-even after countless washes. The only thing to even remotely abate his worsening mood was that secretive, slow smile Sif gave him from across the room when Thor's little girl waddled up to him, wobbling on her small, chubby toddler legs, her blues eyes bright and mystified as she held a pink and yellow egg in her hand, offering it up to him.

He shook his head at her, managing a tightlipped smile as his discomfort at being crammed into one room with most of the Asgardian population increased tenfold, bumping shoulders with Darcy as she glanced over, smiling apologetically at him.

"No one likes that egg. It's not the kind that has candy in it," he muttered breathlessly, Darcy's elbow cramming into his side as she struggled, futilely, to scoot farther away on the large couch, her efforts useless because of the sleeping Volstagg to her left. The young girl gave him a funny, teasing look, and he swore she picked it up from him.

"You don't have candy in you, but people like you," she retorted curtly, and, wide eyed, he began to laugh, clutching his stomach as she glared at him petulantly, and Sif covered her mouth to quell her own body-racking chuckles, doubled over as she reclined on the opposite sofa. Thor and Jane, curled up together as they talked about all of the hiding spots they'd used, glanced over, confused, at Sif, laughing beside them.

Shrugging at her husband, Jane stood to clap her hands together, promptly ending the echoing chatter and gossip of the rest of the people in the room, and all eyes turned to her-all eyes except those of Loki, who was still bent over, smiling, shaking his head at his small niece.

"We have to get into teams, and then we'll go find the eggs. Whoever finds the most wins a prize," she announced loudly, a small smile gracing her features, and immediately picked Thor to be first on her team. Their daughter turned, looking up at Loki, and placed the colored egg in his palm, folding his slender fingers over it with care.

"You can be on my team, Uncle Loki," she said plainly, expectant, and he smiled, his mood completely lifted, his gaze softening as he glanced up to Sif, her hands placed in her lap as she stared, the softest curve at the corners of her lips. He leaned in close to the girl, smirking, his eyes glowing brightly in the candlelight.

"Aunt Sif would be of better use. She's great at finding things," he whispered, and she stared at him disbelievingly, pouting.

"But you're good at this kind of thing."

He shook his head slowly, raising a brow.

"No, no. Actually, Sif once found something I didn't even know existed."

Sif, listening intently from the distance between them, was rapt with attention, her ashen eyes wide with expectance.

"What was it?"

Loki, not bothering to glance back down, only stared at his wife, and she could have sworn she saw that steely gaze of his soften, just a fraction.

"My heart," he murmured lowly, and the noise of the crowd around them was lost to the all-encompassing grace of Sif's sudden laughter, her teary-eyed smile melting him where he sat, the moment forever ingrained into his most cherished memories.

Please R&R! Feedback of any kind is always appreciated! ;)

To simber: No problem! It'll probably be tomorrow or the next day that I'll write it. I only had up to this one planned out. xD