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"Tell me the truth, would you?" You asked, boredline bored, as Jack sat next to you, eyebrows raised in wonder. You weren't angry at him, but you were annoyed at the way he constantly underestimated your intelligence. You weren't that naïve. When he didn't speak up, you decided to clear out the supposed mess in his head. "You're obviously not going out of the city. You haven't mentioned your family once and now you think that brining some second cousin in the equation will make your lie believable?"

The only thing that left Jack's lips was a sigh. He didn't grace you with a reply and his eyes didn't meet yours. Maybe because he feared you'd see the truth in them.

"You're not American." You declared confidently, almost like you were reciting a beforehand written speech. "Frankly, I doubt you're even a Midgardian." The term attracted his attention. His head lifted and his hazel orbs met yours, they weren't confused. He wasn't even trying to fake it – just great.

"Your name's not Jack. You haven't been here during the attack on New York. You're an Asgardian and you were purposefully on that bench that afternoon. My only question is why and if you answer it I may not start screaming at you for how obvious you were." You said, eyes cold and sharp as they scanned the male's face. He let out another sigh and that was your cue to huff.

You would think that by going out in the park, where it was all green and peaceful, you'd be prepared to hear him finally admit everything, but it wasn't quite like that. The light wind brushing through the trees' crowns didn't help his words fall lighter on your ears and the soft sunlight shining through the many leaves illuminating his face certainly didn't help the pang that pulled at your heart.

"My name's Hallem and I'm a servant of the prince. I was sent here to look after you, (Y/N)." He stated and you gritted your teeth because otherwise you would gape. You had a clue of his true home, but you had no idea he'd been ordered specifically to look over you. Your eyebrows furrowed as you processed his words, the pretty scenery not managing to distract you – not this time at least.

"The prince? Do you mean Loki?" You questioned and Hallem's gaze narrowed before he looked into your eyes and nodded.

"Yes."

Your head was spinning and your eyebrows were almost touching on your forehead. You'd expected for Jac--- Hallem to tell you things that would shock you, but not up to this point. You never expected to hear Loki had ordered him to spy on you. "And he told you to stay close? Did he also navigate what you were saying?"

"... only sometimes." He answered, running a hand through his golden locks and locking his gaze with yours. You were uncertain whether to hold onto the eye contact or not.

"Did he ever come here himself?" You asked next, making the male's expression freeze. You had your answer. And it brought you more pain than it did annoyance, which just frustrated you. It'd been a month – you were supposed to be better now for God's sake.

"Once." He whispered, so low you wouldn't have heard it were you not paying attention closely. You couldn't believe it – Loki had come back and been ignorant enough as to not even visit you or say anything to you. Your eyes widened. Unless---

"When?" Your voice was harsh and you looked angry, that much Hallem managed to guess. Nobody would guess that, during the ever so peaceful afternoon in the perfectly calm park bathing in its own beauty, a Midgardian and an Asgardian would be discussing aliens and other worlds.

"I-I'm not allowed to s---"

"When?" You hissed out, a warning that his orders were currently being overruled by the fact you'd been lied to for the past month and a half, not only by Hallem, but by Loki as well. Hallem fidgeted lightly, his expression was uncertain as he faced the ground and scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. You doubted that would help him much, but at least it gave you some time to calm down slightly.

"Our third date. That was all the prince." He admitted in the end, tone sounding like he feared Loki might hear and thus learn of his disobediance. You'd been right. Never before had Jack's eyes shone that way. The green round their pupils hadn't been the same – it had been Loki's green and you'd noticed it. He'd purposefully used phrases that would trigger certain memories of yours. You just hadn't had enough proof back then. Now you had. Your shoulders slouched and your angry expression was gone – you felt emptier than before. And you wanted to slap Loki. Hard.

"Why did he tell you to do all this?" You asked, as if learning the reasons would make you feel better. Maybe it would, but you strongly doubted it.

"His highness wanted to know what you did, what your emotional state was. He wanted you to move on." Hallem explained, making your eyebrows furrow once more as you clenched your hand in a fist. Was Loki for real?

"So he used you to try and achieve it? That fucking bastard." You muttered under your breath, making Hallem place a hand on your shoulder reassuringly. Under different circumstances you would've stood up from the bench you were occupying and scream at him, but right now you felt like you needed this comfort.

"The prince cares about you. He really does. He just doesn't have a plan yet and he knows if you learned about the wedding you'd---"

"Wedding? What wedding?" Your head whipped to meet Hallem's hazel eyes as his mouth clamped shut and the urgency in your voice told him you'd ignored the rest of his sentence completely. Loki cared about you? Yeah, you'd believe it if he hadn't left you, but then again his leave had given you a lot of time to consider a lot of things – things that gave you a certain opinion on the matter of you and him, if there was even such a thing as you and him together.

"That doesn't matter." He stated mechanically. "Point is, the prince cares."

You shook your head at him, an expression of reproach sitting on your features. "No, he doesn't. If he did he wouldn't do all this. If he did he'd be honest with me, not hide behind somebody else's face."

"He only did that because he wanted to spend time with you." Hallem retorted, you wondered if his face was just as hesitant as himself about expressing certain things. You couldn't understand him at the moment – he'd been following orders, sure, but why was he trying to get Loki on your good side when he wasn't even here? Why was he so caring when he was just a servant meant to look after you?

"He should’ve come as himself then!" You exclaimed angrily, not daring to move a muscle. You knew that if you got up from this bench and went home fuming you'd regret it – Hallem would leave for Asgard and wouldn't answer the questions you had in mind. Not that you even had your focus on them – you were so blinded by this unreasonable anger that you couldn't return to logic.

"He feared he may give you false hope of staying if he showed up as himself." Hallem countered calmly, eyebrows furrowed in pity. You felt like you needed to slap that expression off his face. You hated pity – you weren't weak or vulnerable and you needn't be pitied by the likes of him, who only got used.

"Stupid reasonings as always. Now tell me about the wedding. Is that why you're leaving?" You asked, suppressing the anger and instead facing the blond with the calmest expression you could muster. You stared into the green surrounding his pupils as he talked, hoping you could look into Loki's eyes just once more.

As I scream at him for being unreasonable and slap him maybe.

"The prince has requested my assistance since the wedding is in three days. I must go today." Hallem announced stiffly as his his hands uncomfortably fidgeted in his lap. You wondered if Loki would be angry when he understood Hallem had told you everything. You knew that the God of Mischief had his ways and couldn't control his anger as well as he thought he could. You wouldn't be able to protect Hallem from possible punishment. Well, not if you didn't do anything.

"Take me with you." Your eyes shone and the idea was out of your lips before you had time to think it through. Hallem's eyes widened, but then his features twisted in a frown and he shook his head.

"I cannot allow that." That wasn't the voice you were used to. It pained you to think his whole demeanour towards you had been a lie. You wondered if you even wanted to help him at all – but if you truly went to Asgard you wouldn't be helping only him. You'd be helping yourself, too. Maybe you'd even get some sense into Loki's head.

"Please. I want to talk to him. I won't create problems, I promise – I just want to speak with him." You pleaded in a way you considered rather pitiful, but then again – anger wouldn't get you to Asgard, it would only send you back home all alone and dissatisfied with the actions you'd taken.

And maybe slap the heck out of his stupid face, but that doesn't add up to the heartfelt speech. You finished mentally, careful not to let your ulterior motive slip in front of Hallem.'

"I can't." The Asgardian refused once more and you stared at him defiantly, almost pleadingly.

"You can!" You didn’t know if it was the despair in your voice, the trembling note in the undertone, the sunlight illuminating the determination hidden across the features of your otherwise uncertain face or something completely different that made him sigh in defeat, but it had done it and you were thankful for that.

"You'll have no more than ten minutes. His highness is busy and the wedding is nearing." He declared softly, almost like he was disappointed at himself for letting you persuade him so easily. He stood up and offered you a hand, which you gladly accepted. You wondered what was going to happen now but you'd heard stories of the Bifrost from Loki so you knew it was going to be something worth the argument.

You had the time to whisper a single 'thank you' before Hallem's hands wrapped around your waist and you were momentarily blinded by a bright light. Your eyes were closed shut, but then you heard Hallem tell you to open them. Under normal circumstances you wouldn't have, but his voice was so soft and you were curious. When your eyes fluttered open you felt like a child being presented to art for the first time in its life. Your lips parted and your eyes shone as you stared at the colours around you in awe.

You didn't even know how exactly to describe the sight presented to you, but it was certainly breathtaking. It was more beautiful than any garden or park you could stumble upon, more mesmerizing than the edge of the highest waterfall or the calming dance of the snow during the winter. It was better than the sight of clouds from up close or even the view of the night sky from a field in the middle of nowhere - maybe because this here was actually a mass of stars itself, passing by you so quickly you saw only bright colours and no shapes.

You felt like you could stare at it for forever. And then it was suddenly over.

You were standing in a spacious place, close to a platform where another person stood, dressed in golden armour from head to toe, clutching the handle of a giant sword piercing through some kind of device. Was that sword what opened the portal? From Loki's stories you'd guess the answer to that would be a 'yes'.

"Stay here. I’ll let the prince know of your presence." Hallem's hands left your body and he left hastily with big and hurried steps. You stood there stunned and a bit disoriented. You wondered what you'd expected – you didn't know anybody here except Loki and Thor, and you suddenly felt all too aware of how they'd felt upon their visits to Earth. Not that they'd cared really, they always came and went, but to you this mattered a lot – even if you'd be staying for the overall of ten minutes.

"I see Hallem disobeyes yet another order." The man holding the sword spoke and your gaze merely transferred from the floor to him. He was of dark complexion and the helmet he wore covered most of his face, but one thing managed to pop out among the rest. His eyes struck you with their vivid colour – to the point you felt as if he could see right through you despite this being the first time you were seeing each other.

"Another?" You echoed when it dawned on you that the man was expecting some kind of reaction and he nodded, a slight huff making its way past his lips. His hands clutched the sword tighter and he unsheathed it from the device/thing you didn't recognise as anything known to you. You flinched at the sound it made and then watched curiously as he put it back in its scabbard.

"Well, he may be loyal, but he's not flawless. My name's Heimdall." He introduced politely and you made a step closer to him, reaching out a hand, which you thought he might take and shake as a greeting. Thankfully he did, otherwise you would've looked like a total idiot.

"I'm (Y/N)." You said with a small smile and he let go of your hand, letting you observe him from up close.

"I know that. I've seen you and Loki." He informed casually, making your eyebrows furrow as you watched him strangely. Loki hadn't told you of this. Maybe because he himself hadn't known? Heimdall seemed to sense your confusion, so he tried to explain in the best way he could: "I can see everything in the Nine Realms. Sometimes I'm instructed to concentrate on certain things."

You frowned a bit, eyes doubtfully bouncing from the man's face to his sword. "Doesn't Odin fear that power of yours? You look strong." He stood there for a second, a look of remembrance flashing across his features before you snorted and cut off the response he might've prepared. "Wait, let me guess – you've pledged your loyalty to him, so it's stupid to think you might betray him?"

Heimdall huffed and his eyes met yours in a way that made you wonder what he truly saw when he looked at you. "Hm. That reminds me of something. I remember Loki asking me the same question. Only he did not manage to answer it on his own." The Asgardian said, making you snort as you put a hand to your waist.

"Well, in contrast with him I'm not blinded by m---"

"He's coming." Heimdall cut off before you could finish, his head lightly turning to the entrance. In less than a second, Loki stormed inside, looking angry and just as handsome as any other day although there were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was slightly disheveled. You had imagined your reunion a bit better than what followed.

"What are you doing here?" Was his first question when he stopped in front of you, shaking you by the shoulders so frantically you almost lost your train of thoughts.

"Hallem brought me with him because I wanted to." You stated, making sure Loki at least understood his servant had no fault. You could be annoying if you wanted to, more so you could be persuasive and annoying.

"You don’t understand my question. What are you doing here?" He hissed, hands still holding onto your shoulders tightly. The Norse God hadn't spent even a minute in your presence and he was already that angry. Well, you could be too.

"Well, for one just now did I obtain knowledge of your idiotic game! You think you're really smart, don't you?" You questioned sarcastically, making him snort as he rolled his eyes in a way that made you doubt they'd return to their previous position. You stepped back from him, preventing his hands from holding onto your shoulders anymore. The gesture made his jaw clench.

"Oh, I am smart and only if you weren't dense it wouldn't have come to this!" He exclaimed, on the verge of screaming at you. Your eyes narrowed and you knew that he'd sensed it just as well as yourself – you were about to hand his shit back to him on a silver plate.

"Don’t call me dense, noodle! You send a servant of yours on Earth so you can spy on me? Then you tell him 'make sure she moves on' and you think I'm going to fall in love just like that? You're so fucking wrong." You ended your speech with a growl even though it started as a high-pitched statement (more like exclamation). Loki noticed you were trying to contain your anger. He himself was having a hard time doing so.

"I didn’t expect it to happen. I wanted to monitor your actions. You're always unstable after something big happens and---" For a second he tried to be calm, you could give him that, but that wasn't something you could care about. You had ten minutes with him and you'd make sure to use them properly.

"Big? You call the leave of the only person I've opened up to in my life who supposedly hasn't hurt me as a result something big? No, Loki, it's enormous and you're an idiot. You visited me! You pretended to me Hallem and told me all those things! Why didn't you just do it as yourself?"

Who would think that after a month and a half of not seeing each other at all and possibly missing and thinking of each other often, you'd go back to the old quarrels so easily? Well, you certainly expected it. You just didn't know how you'd be able to stop it. The words just kept coming out.

"Because you would've started crying and subconsciously you'd hope I'd stay! Do you think that begging Thor for help on that topic, weeks prior to my wedding, which my father watches very closely all the time, was the easiest thing I've done?" He questioned, not expecting the answer he truly received.

"In comparison to many others it is!" You exclaimed, fury pumping along your veins as he frowned across from you.

And to think you'd missed this ass of a man almost two months now. To think of all the times you'd wished he'd show up and spin you around in him arms like the princess you weren't. To think of the trust you'd started putting in him when you'd promised yourself not to make the same mistake after last time. To think of everything you'd wished to tell him – assure him everything was fine, tell him stories of your boring day, joke around. To think of all the nights you'd spent trying to imagine his vibrant eyes – the ones you finally got to look at right now as they glared holes into your existence.

"Maybe so, but do you think I can allow myself the confidence of thinking so as well? Do you think it was easy for me to stay there, with you, for less than half a day? Do you think I didn't want to come again? As myself? Not my stupid servant who had the audacity to fall in love with you after I strictly told him not to touch a single hair on your head?"

Loki's words shocked you to the point you were rendered speechless. You couldn't talk for a solid second, and that was amazing because not only did he tell you something rather sweet, but he also said Hallem had supposedly 'fallen in love' with you. Your eyebrow twitched and you glanced at Heimdall, he was standing to the side as if he weren't even there at all, but his presence you were certainly aware of.

Your gaze went back to Loki as he silently fumed and you felt a surge of pain violently tug at the reigns of your own fury. The flame in your eyes died down and your face gradually softened as you opened your mouth to speak.

"And do you think it was easy for me to hear all the things you said back then as I forced myself not to think of you? Surely enough, pushing Hallem away was rather easy when I'd stopped picturing you in his shoes. And now, when I know about everything, do you think it's easy for me to be given nothing more than a ten-minute conversation?" You pressed, sadness being more present in your voice than anger, a thing Loki managed to notice fast enough. His expression also softened slightly and you saw that brief flicker of care in his eyes that made your heart almost skip a beat.

"Oh, love. I'm sure it's painful for us both, but Heimdall has to send you home. Now. My father will know of this if you stay any longer and I cannot let him.” His voice was back to normal, although still a bit colder, and your expression hardened, mind unable to comprehend the softness at the beginning of his words. The pet name made your heart twist and turn in your ribcage as you argued.

"He'll see the Bifrost working." You said coldly, face giving away the actual worry lacing your thoughts. "You can't send me off now. I came with Hallem so it wouldn't be suspicious but this will be."

"She has a point, Loki." This was Heimdall's first interjection during your whole 'talk' and Loki was obviously dissatisfied with the other Asgardian's confirmation.

"I know she does." The words were directed to Heimdall and they sounded spiteful, not so much because of the person he was telling them to, but because of their truthfulness. He turned back to you, eyes pinning you in place immediately. "You can't stay here." There was something about his voice, a little undertone maybe, that told you he was afraid of your presence. You wondered why, but it was useless because Loki wouldn't tell if he didn't want to.

"I can wait until Hallem is sent back to Earth." You stated, believing that when the Asgardian was sent back to Earth you'd be able to travel with him. After all you'd only have to wait a few days. Maybe you could even stay in this room, you'd have fun talking to Heimdall.

"That’ll happen after the wedding." Loki's eyes narrowed and your brows raised in a question that was voiced out a second later.

"So in three days?"

"Yes." Confirmation came fast and sharp and you sensed the venom in that single word better than you did throughout your whole argument.

"Then I can stay here, with Heimdall." You said next, picturing Loki or Hallem bringing you food twice a day as you conversed with Heimdall for hours. You had questions you thought he might be able to answer. You met Loki's gaze, expecting a positive response. That hope died the moment his eyebrow raised questioningly. He was looking at you like you were the most idiotic person he'd met and you didn't like that.

"Do you think other people do not travel using the Bifrost? The preparations, the guests - they all pass through this place. You've no way to stay." After his small speech you did feel rather dumb, but then again you were not aware of how things went down in Asgard, so you had an excuse.

"But I can't go." You argued coldly and Loki suddenly became quiet. His hand lifted to his face and he rubbed his fingers over his lips in a nervous manner, eyes pinned to the floor. Your eyes widened at the emotion of nervousness oozing from the Norse God. It was rare for you to witness it. Worse was – you didn't know how to ease him out of it.

"She can stay." Heimdall's words tore the silence and both you and Loki looked at him with doubt.

"How?" Loki was the one to ask as you stood there, listening intently.

"She'll be my guest." The male's words obviously shocked both you and the God of Mischief because he was rendered speechless long enough for Heimdall to open his mouth to speak again. "She'll attend the wedding in my stead. The All-father will accept this much."

"She's still a Midgardian." Loki argued and you would've slapped his shoulder had you been: for one – closer to him as a whole; and two – in a situation that required less seriousness. You didn't like being called a Midgardian – it was like being called mediocre by a person who had only a single PhD and thought himself God. You'd gotten used to hearing Loki say it (up to the point you'd started adding it to his words at times), but you were sure if somebody else was to call you a Midgardian with a condescending tone or in an insulting context you'd present them with a bitch-slap strong enough for them to remember you. That was, of course, if they weren't Odin, Frigga or Thor – you couldn't really slap a member of Loki’s family, not to mention the rulers of Asgard.

"A Midgardian I’ve chosen to be my eyes during the wedding." Heimdall pressed with a strong voice that told the tale of his confidence on the matter and you almost smiled. He didn't know you yet he was helping – why?

"... fine." Loki settled for that and turned back to you, beckoning for you to follow him outside. Heimdall didn't argue and watched as you two left, both Asgardians having decided that this conversation had come to an end.

"Will your father really accept this?" You asked, eyes straying in all directions whilst filling with awe. You were currently walking down a bridge made of glass-like material, with the exception that it was way thicker and there were rainbows running along its length constantly. The colours changed frantically and you were mesmerized to the point you almost stumbled over the perfectly flat surface.

"Who knows?" Loki's answer came late and you looked up at him after shaking off the feeling of amazement from your mind. He was already staring at you, eyes shining in a way you'd missed ever so terribly. You feared you may not be able to stay for three days and not break down crying after the wedding had finished.

"So now I'm supposed to spend three days here, on another planet, and then I've to witness your wedding?" You asked jokingly, just to clear your mind from the bad thoughts. Loki sensed the dark atmosphere running in circles round you two, so he felt the need to reassure you in some way.

"Pretty much. However, the wedding will not take place." To your raised eyebrows he only smirked. "I've a plan." Was his brief explanation, but before he could proceed telling you how great he was for thinking of it, your frown stopped him.

"Why?" You questioned with pursed lips, making him also frown. Your pace became slower, until you had almost stopped in the middle of the rainbow bridge.

"What do you mean why? I'm doing it for y---"

Before he could finish the sentence that would've surely made your heart hammer faster in your chest, a distant voice cut him off with its high-pitched sweetness.

"Loki, my love, there you are."

You stopped walking altogether and looked ahead, where a tall woman was closing in on you two fast. Loki had also frozen in his tracks and you guessed that was the infamous betrothed he was yet to tell you about. If you had to be honest, she was beautiful. Not that you'd want to admit it. She was tall and slim, dressed in a sleeveless crimson dress reaching her ankles. Her long strawberry blond hair fell over her shoulders in big silky waves. Golden accessories stood round her thin wrists and long neck.

"Alletha, I was welcoming our guest." Loki said when the woman stopped in front of you two and you suddenly felt all too self-conscious standing in front of her in your ripped jeans and (f/c) singlet. Your hair was messy and you weren't sure if your face reflected the tiredness you felt. You fidgeted in your combat boots when her amber eyes shot you a look full of well-hidden disgust, your own gaze straying towards the ground immediately.

"Guest?" Her voice was velvety as her eyes scanned your body from head to toe. Your eyes were still pinned to the bridge under your feet as an expression of quiet panic adorned your otherwise cold features. Loki glanced at you and his eyebrow momentarily twitched before he turned back to his betrothed with a charming smile.

"Yes, this is Lady (Y/N), from Midgard, she is Heimdall's personal guest and will be attending the wedding in his stead." You couldn’t avoid looking down anymore, you had to face her. When your eyes met hers it was like a chemical reaction exploded somewhere far off in the distance. Loki stood close to you yet you didn’t feel safe in the least. "Lady (Y/N), this is Alletha of Asgard, my betrothed."

Now the face had a name, too. And 'Alletha' was a beautiful name. Just like its owner, you concluded sadly as the brightest smile you had in store shone on your face.

"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." You said, the fake smile still pulling at the corners of your mouth. You reached out a hand, but the woman in front of you didn't look like she was about to move. The brief look of disgust she eyed your palm with just told you she'd never stoop that low.

"Likewise." She brushed you off with a polite smile of her own and your hand withdrew as her eyes directed to the man next to you. The air suddenly seemed way thicker when you saw the look of adoration spread across her features as he met her gaze. "Loki, dear, why don’t you let a servant escort her to her temporary chambers?"

"I'm afraid I can't." The Norse God said politely with that same charming smile, making you want to puke. Alletha's smile dropped a bit, but she didn't let herself get angry or disappointed on the outside. "If you have urgent business with me then please wait for ten more minutes."

Loki put his hand on your waist and pushed you forward, past Alletha's form and down the bridge. You stared ahead blankly and once you were out of ear-range you swatted Loki's hand away from your waist whilst meeting his gaze.

"That was her?" You questioned and he only nodded in return. You looked back ahead, not finding yourself capable of holding onto the eye contact. "She doesn't like me."

"As it seems so." He hummed lowly in confirmation, making you uncomfortable.

"Her smile was too fake." You announced and he snorted condescendingly, eyes pinned to your visage the whole time. You didn't dare meet his gaze again.

"Yours wasn't any better, pet." He countered, making you huff in irritation and your pace slightly quickened as if you knew where you were going.

"Not your pet. And it was perfectly fine." You argued stubbornly (almost enjoying the sound of the familiar banter) as Loki’s eyes finally left your face and instead travelled to the sight ahead, and the city closing in on you two.

"Whatever shall let you sleep calmly." He commented mockingly and you shot him a brief glare before following him down the path to wherever you were headed. As if having deduced your worry, Loki spoke up again: "I'm guessing I should first tell my father about your stay and then introduce you to the city."

"Didn't you tell your betrothed you'd be gone for ten minutes only?" You mocked and he smirked devilishly – a gesture that almost made you want to kiss him then and there.

"Well, she didn't specify if her business with me was indeed urgent." He dragged out proudly, making you suppress a chuckle as you forced a serious expression on your face.

"It may be about the wedding." You glanced at the Norse God next to you as he rolled his eyes and met your gaze with the biggest smirk you'd seen him wear in awhile.

"Or the feces in the stables. Both are of equal importance to me." You shouldn’t have thought it were funny, but when Loki's eyes shone your way with genuine amusement you couldn't help it – you snorted with laughter, which later had to be calmed down before you were to seek audience with Odin.

...

"Your father didn't look all too pleased." You dragged out quietly after you'd sought audience with the All-father and received his acceptance on the matter. Loki stood in front of you and his hand twitched before he fixed the already perfect collar of his Asgardian outfit whilst clearing his throat.

"He'll learn not to show it then." He said whilst avoiding your gaze and then it clicked why his hand had twitched – he'd wanted to grasp your own. At the deduction, your own eyes narrowed and you looked at the ground. You guessed you'd be unable to hold his hand anymore. "I think we should talk." His words made your attention transfer back to him and you were surprised to see that little flame of determination in his emerald orbs. Secretly, you were glad to witness it again.

"What about?" You questioned and Loki's lips pursed, then parted. Before he could find the perfect words to speak, another voice interjected.

"Lady (Y/N)! Brother! What a surprise!" You would've been crazy not to recognise Thor's voice. You turned to face the blond God of Thunder with a grin, excited to see him because despite the fact you'd spent a lot of time in his brother's company, you enjoyed Thor and his cheery character.

"Thor! I'm so glad to see you. We didn't get to talk last time." You said, still smiling, and the God of Thunder suddenly became uneasy. You could see uncertainty flash across his handsome features as he recalled the beforementioned 'last time'.

"We had something to attend to." Thor stated seriously before glancing over at Loki, strangely silent for something that could've become a brotherly quarrel approximately five times so far. "My little brother here's getting married, but in all honesty I'd much rather prefer to see him at the altar with you instead." Thor stated with a smile uncharacteristic for such a sentence.

"Such an absurd statement, Thor! Do feel some shame!" You slapped the Norse God's shoulder, accepting it as nothing but a joke, although a slight pang pulled at the strings of your heart as Loki shifted in your peripheral vision. You didn't want to look at him.

"Oh, it is nothing but the truth, Lady (Y/N)!" The blond God of Thunder exclaimed happily with a cheery laugh and your expression softened. In spite of everything Thor was still Thor and you and Loki... were still knee-deep in denial. These three days would be much fun.

"Brother, that's enough. What are you doing? Weren't you supposed to be attending to your own problems?" Loki's voice cut in before you could reply and Thor threw a brief questioning gaze at his brother.

"Jane? So far everything seems good. She's nervous, but she's opening up to the servants at least." The blue-eyed male stated professionally, his face softening at the mention of his girlfriend. A small smile creeped over your lips as you stared at him. You wished that other people you knew - your gaze directed to Loki for a second, would be this open about their feelings, too. Deep inside you knew you couldn't blame him for being distant since you weren't any better.

"What a relief." The God of Mischief stated sarcastically and you elbowed him lightly with a scowl. Just then did you realise he was actually closer to you now.

"Don't be sarcastic, noodle. It's rude." You scolded in a motherly way and he shot you a glare, sensing the way you were, like many other times, trying to boss him around. And even after everything, Loki was still Loki.

"Don’t tell me what to do." He retorted defiantly and you returned his glare, hands already at your hips.

"Look at you, quarreling like a married couple already." Thor stated, amusement flickering across his blue orbs. You and Loki both turned to face him with glares that usually would've made a normal person step back in fright.

"We're not!"

"In synchron too!" The God of Thunder roared with laughter at your and Loki's antics and you avoided the emerald-eyed man's gaze in shame, not wanting for him to sense the embarrassment you were currently being put through.

"Can you give me a tour of the place, Thor?" You asked once the Norse God had stopped mocking your situation with his laughter and the moment that happened you could already see the way Loki's eyebrows furrowed without actually needing to look at him.

"I was about to---" He started, but you smugly cut him off with the most polite yet mocking smile you could pull off.

"Oh, but I don't wish to waste your precious time, your highness. Your betrothed is coming this way, I cannot possibly hold you back from seeing her." Your voice was like honey and your face like the one of the most obedient servant and you saw the fury flash across Loki's features right before Alletha's figure stepped forward from behind the corner.

"Loki!" She called excitedly and you turned to Thor after throwing one last glance in Loki's direction.

"That must be my cue to leave. Come Thor." You grasped the male's hand and led him away. You took off in an unknown to you direction, hoping you wouldn't have to be so polite anymore because it literally hurt to be that fake. "I'd love to meet Jane. Another person who doesn't use all these fancy words. Doesn't your tongue get tired?" You asked, having let go of Thor's hand as you walked side by side, and he shrugged.

"Almost every day actually, depends on how much we converse and what the topic is, but this is how we are used to talking." He explained and you hummed, observing your surroundings. The buildings were tall, golden and beautiful. On your way to the palace/Throne room you’d actually seen the beauty of Asgard briefly – under the rainbow bridge there was water, surrounding everything, and behind the palace ahead – a tall mountain with snow at its summit. The sky was filled with clouds made of cotton and there, during the day, were other visible planets.

"Interesting." You admitted quietly, making Thor face the front as you stared at your feet, contemplating your current situation. It would rank one on your list of Things I Would've Never Thought I'd Live To Do Or See.

"Oh, mother." Thor's soft exclamation made your head snap to the front, where a beautiful woman, looking no more than forty-five years old, was walking toward you two. Thor's steps came to a soft halt and you literally froze in your spot, feet rooted to the ground, and you cursed mentally, panic filling every vein you had in your body.

Shit, Loki's mother.

"Hello." You greeted stiffly, not daring to reach out your hand and get humiliated as you did by Alletha even though you knew you were risking to seem impolite in front of the goddamn queen of Asgard.

"(Y/N), was it? The Midgardian Loki introduced as Heimdall's guest?" Frigga's face was beautiful and her eyes were no less piercing than Loki's. You considered that was where his sharpness and skill to unravel people in mere seconds came from, judging by the way you felt now – like you were made of glass and your heart's contents were written all over you with a permanent marker for the queen to read.

"Yes. It's nice to make your acquaintace, your highness." You bowed lightly, unsure of the Asgardian customs, and suddenly aware of how absurd you might've looked doing it.

Frigga's smile warmed the whole place as it stretched the corners of her lips in a way you didn't consider was meant to deceive. "Please, dear. Don't force yourself so much around me. You're so close to my son, you don't need to be so polite." She looked like she was about to chuckle, but her eyes were already doing it. You suddenly felt very little and even more vulnerable.

"Excuse me?" You were taken aback – had Loki told her about you two or had she guessed it herself? She couldn't possibly have, you'd both acted strictly professional toward one another back at the Throne room.

"I've heard stories from both Thor and Loki about you, I'm pleased to finally meet you. I'll see at a later date if you shall live up to the expectations my sons have placed in my mind." The Queen smiled again and her eyes discreetly eyed you up from head to toe, making you uncomfortable as you fidgeted in your spot.

"I see. Well, I very much hope it doesn’t happen." You informed hurriedly, throwing a slight glance to Thor, who was still standing by your side and silently observing the exchange of phrases between you and his mother.

"Oh? Why so?" Frigga's smile didn't waver for a single millisecond and you became aware that was where Loki's talent on the matter also came from. He was good at asking the right questions and saying the right things whilst keeping up an unwavering nonchalant appearance, as if unaffected by everything and anything. You noticed how he'd turned that part of him on around Alletha and also back at the Throne room. Was he going to be this fake to all of Asgard? Actually, had he been before coming to Earth?

"It would mean Thor's over-exaggerations and Loki's judgemental opinions would turn out to be correct." You informed shortly with a miniature smirk and Frigga's head tilted to the side slightly as her smile widened and she never let go of the uncertain eye contact you'd offered her.

"Well, I was on my way to the garden. Do you wish to accompany me?" Her voice was like honey and you felt hesitant but you were sure what you wanted.

"Thor was going to show me around." You glanced at the Norse God and Frigga raised a single questioning eyebrow.

"Is that a 'no'?" That gesture alone made you see your mother in Frigga's stead and you felt yourself smile softly.

"It's actually my way of telling Thor he needn't do it anymore." You threw Thor a small smile and he returned it before Frigga caught your hand and you were once again met with the sight of her warm smile. You felt like you didn’t want to look at her frown ever.

"Good. Come, dear, I have a lot I want to discuss with you."

...

"This was tiring." You plopped down on the bed in your 'temporary chambers' as Alletha had called them earlier that day whilst Loki was leaning on the wall by the headboard.

"Surely." He confirmed indifferently but you sensed it was true for him as much as it was for you.

To be honest, you'd found the whole place amazing, mind-blowing even – although not in the literal way. The buildings were magnificent and the architecture was something to marvel at with days. The sights offered to you, even with all of Loki's detailed stories, you'd have never been able to grasp the true beauty of until now. And the interior? Breathtaking. You admitted you'd stared off one too many times during your conversation with Frigga in the garden earlier, but once having entered the palace Loki had to pull or push you every few seconds because you'd stop to admire something random.

And when you entered your room, with its marble floors, king-sized bed covered in white silk sheets, massive mahagony chairs and table in one corner, a personal bathroom in the other with a bath bigger than the bed you had back at your apartment, and a balcony overlooking the mountain behind the palace, well, let's just say you needed to do a double-take and Loki almost needed to catch you when you stumbled backwards in disbelief and amazement. You'd never been offered such luxury, so the fact you were currently a guest on another planet that was to reside inside an actual palace for the next three days wasn’t something your mind could comprehend that easily.

"I'm disappointed at the lack of cheesecake in this place." You sighed casually and Loki looked down at you from his place by the wall as you stared at the ceiling, also made of marble.

"It is what I also miss most." He stated with a slight huff and your eyes departed from the ceiling to instead gaze at him. By some kind of coincidence, the Norse God's gaze had dropped to the floor and you sensed he was currently recalling some memory of his time back on Earth – you wondered which one, but then your eyes strayed back towards the ceiling as you tried not to remember your past with him yourself.

"I should make some. If I'm allowed in the kitchen." Your voice was nonchalant, but you knew both you and Loki could hear the slight stiffness in it.

"I'll make sure it happens." He informed and you kept silent, pondering the softness of his voice. You thought of Alletha and how she was so much better than you – and then you considered the possibility of him being in your room around midnight bringing you trouble.

"Noodle?" Your voice rung in the empty space and Loki's emerald hues pinned themselves to your face as you sat up on the bed and gestured weakly for him to join you.

"Yes?" He walked a step ahead, a hesitant one, before taking another one and sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed. You bit your bottom lip and faced the other way, wondering whether you should really bring up the topic or not. But if you didn't do it now he may decide to when the time wasn't right.

"You said we should talk earlier. I know you're going to talk about the wedding." You were yet to face him or look him in the eye, but you knew of the way his eyebrow would furrow in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, the event that shan't take place."

"And here we come back to square one." You rolled your eyes as he moved closer to you on the bed with a glare and a frown.

"Why do you not want me to ruin it? I'm doing it for you." Finally, the phrase he'd been unable to finish earlier that day had been completed and as predicted, it made your heartbeat speed up. You looked down at your lap, your hands, the silk sheets beneath both – and you remembered all the thinking you'd done in the past month and a half.

"You shouldn't." You faced Loki, looking into his piercing orbs and parting your lips, readying yourself for a speech. "If you get married you'll finally make peace with your father, you'll be with your brother, your mother and maybe you'll find love in the face of a woman way more beautiful and probably kind and understanding than I could ever be."

"The most that woman knows of me is that I am a prince." Loki sneered and you scowled defiantly, neither ready to give up just yet.

"Then she'll get to know you." You said, anger was yet to bubble along the length of your body, but it would happen soon enough if Loki kept being so stubborn.

"I don't want her to." He retorted like a little child and your eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Why?"

"I have you." The sentence made your heart skip a beat, which was something you'd never come to admit aloud. And as always – your brain then took the reigns, placing your insecurity behind the wheel.

"You don't need me. I'll die way before you do. It'd be useless to start anything when you'll end up hurt." You said, your anger – or whatever of it had started bottling inside your body, gone, and you suddenly felt like you had a knot inside your throat. Your shoulders were heavy and your heart was being pulled down by an enormous weight.

"Is that what this is all about?" Loki's features softened in realisation and when he was met only with silence and a confused quicked brow, his own brow twitched. "Are you worried my long life-span will turn out crucial for our relationship?"

The last words struck a chord in you and your breath hitched. "We don't have a relationship. And it already is. I've acknowledged it's not worth it and you should do it too." You said with a straight face, not letting out the pain and the sadness and the hope for all the things you could have right now in this moment - those were just an optimist's bright thoughts - something you'd learned not to trust anymore.

"No, love." The pet name made your brow twitch as Loki moved closer to you. "Right now, in this moment, it's worth it." His eyes met yours as his slender fingers grasped your digits "You are worth it. And I don't want to leave you." You didn't dare close the distance between you, but that certainly didn't stop him from doing it himself.

When his breath was already fanning your face and your lips were barely an inch away, you asked: "Are you aware you're to be wed to another woman in less than three days?"

He closed the gap between your faces, leaving the question unanswered, and you completely melted in the span of a single second, having sensed the familiar taste of his lips and the assuring cool grip of his fingers on your hand. For a second, you were back in your apartment, in your bed and he was kissing you so softly you could melt into the sheets. The moment wasn't short-lived but in your personal opinion you couldn't get enough of it with the time he gave you.

"If my plan works - then no, but for now – yes." Loki stated amusedly, making you frown as his lips planted on yours once again and this time his tongue invaded your mouth, inspecting the already claimed territory after so much time. You recalled the last time you'd kissed and you felt even better that he was doing it now however it may've been. You'd missed the feeling of him. You'd missed him so badly.

"Then stop kissing me." You said, already slightly out of breath, when he parted from you once more only to start peppering your neck in kisses. Your fingers had intertwined over the bedsheets as your other hand held onto the back of his head, lightly scratching at times, tugging on his ebony locks at others.

"No thank you." The Norse God refused politely whilst resuming his steady advance. Your neck had craned upwards and your eyes were closed in content as the ebony-haired man left love-bites and sloppy kisses along its length. "Stop fighting it, love. You've wanted this for quite some time." He teased with a kiss to the corner of your mouth and you opened your eyes, throwing him a glare.

"Not on another planet." You informed coldly, making him smirk right in your face as you anticipated the moment he'd kiss you again.

"So you'd rather do it on your planet with another person?" He asked mockingly and you bit down on your bottom lip, tugging on his locks a bit harder than needed and declaring your annoyance on the topic of his teasing.

"Shut up, Loki."

Fortunately that was all the God of Mischief needed to reconnect your lips, satisfied with how he'd managed to annoy you even if just slightly. And, somewhere inbetween tuning out your worries on the topic of being caught and the future wedding, and letting yourself be swept off by Loki's kisses as he pressed your body into the bed, you felt him grin against your lips, and in less than a second, despite everything that had happened, you were smiling yourself.