Loki and Ingrid 19...I'm loosing count

Basically how I'd want this to go if I told him, lol. :).

Children of Asgard

“Just in time, Sif,” I pant, stepping out of the Bifrost. Heimdall is staring at us, with his wise eyes, and I freeze.

          “Oh, good,” sighs Sif, “And now, I’m in trouble!  She was about to die! The planet exploded! Let’s go!” Sif grabs my hand, pulling me off the platform where I’m standing, as I stumble after her to another room. Out of breath, I look up. We’re in the throne room.

          “Sif,” I blurt, looking at the guard who has just appeared, “What are we—?”

          “Thor isn’t here, I must protect the throne!”

          “What—Sif!” I try to steer her away from the guard, but she looks straight at him, at his sincerest look, he informs the king, “We found a body.”

          “Yup. Svartelheim,” whispers Sif, “Pretty sure no one was scouting planet Nova.”

          “Shh, Sif!” I scream as the blast hits us, Sif diving for the rapidly disappearing guard.

          “Fine! Just let me—!” Loki appears in his true form as he stares at a speechless Odin. “You will—!”

          “I’ve got this!” shouts Sif, as she lunges again, “I knew you weren’t going to live this down!”

          “Come, father,” says Loki, batting Sif away with the wave of his hand, using the magic to change his father into simple Midgardian garb.

          “What the hell are you doing—!”

          “I have the Bifrost sword—this spell—” he thrusts the sword into the Bifrost as we begin travelling and land on a busy Midgardian street.

          “Where are—” I start, but Sif shushes me.

          “I’ll leave him here. At the care home. For old people.” Loki waves his hand and shouts, “Heimdall, bring us back!—I have trapped Odin here, do not worry!”

          “What? Did you!” Sif is screaming now, trying to grab onto Loki, “He is the king of Asgard!”

          “It’s for the best, I promise. I will take his guise for now. But I have other things to attend to. I’ll need a body double,” he winks at Sif uncomfortably.

          “What? NO!” Go away, Loki! “HEIMDALL!?”

          “Not anymore he’s not,” says Loki, as we ride the Bifrost. I’ll deal with him later.”

          “WHAT?! You’re going to KILL him?!”

          “No, of course not. Just banish him for treason. Simple. He will refuse to listen to me—”

          “What are you doing, Loki?” I ask, “Why are you doing this?”

          Arriving on Asgard, redirecting our destination to the forest, Loki turns to us and begins. “I am a wanted man, for crimes I did not commit—”

          “You did too!”

          “No, you don’t understand—”

          “I DO!”

          “Just listen to him!” I know I’m screaming above their banter, but I don’t care.

          “He will find a way. But there is a much more immediate problem at hand: the prophesy of Ragnarok: the end of all things.”

          “What? You’re crazy, Loki!” begins Sif, but Loki continues.

          “I know a secret that you mustn’t tell Thor or anyone. You have to be willing to do as I say, Sif. I am your king now. And no, Thor can’t know it’s me.”

          “What?! I won’t listen to you!”

          “DO YOU WANT TO BE BANISHED, TOO?”

          “Fine. Finish telling me your stupid children’s stories,” says Sif, crossing her arms.

          “Father doesn’t know I know this. And to my knowledge, Thor doesn’t know. But I have a sister.”

          “Laufey’s daughter?” laughs Sif, “I KNEW it!”

          “No, this is not funny. Odin has a daughter—”

          “What a pile of horseshit!” exclaims Sif, “I’m not having it!”

          “I discovered once, the texts, Father talking in his sleep—”

          “You spied on him?”

          “Maybe. But that is beside the point. My sister, Hela, the Goddess of death was locked away when her ambitions outgrew Father’s” explains Loki, “And I always feared the same fate.”

          “I see! Well that’s just—”

          “So, four years from now—I never understood the Asgardian measures of time—Midgardian time makes so much more since, well, anyway, the prophesy is to be fulfilled—and Father’s death will free my sister.”     

          “So, you left him on Earth to die!” screams Sif, “No wonder you—you’re worse than I thought.”

          “Maybe. Maybe his power will be diminished on Midgard. But so will Hela’s. And there isn’t much any of us can do about Hela, or Ragnarok, or anything. But I do know that there is an even greater threat to galactic peace. His name is Thanos, and he doesn’t like me. I accepted—stole in his mind, one thing from him, and I lost it—when I tried to take over Midgard, that was him—he was lying to me—told me Thor didn’t care, no one cared, I had to prove myself—. Anyway, we need to keep the infinity stones away from him.”

          “The what?”

          “Look, Sif, I’ll explain later. But if I disappear suddenly—or get captured—or worse, I need you to watch Asgard and keep Hela away.”

          “Can I bring Odin back then?” Sif sounds slightly annoyed by Loki’s antics, only half-believing what he says.

          “Sif,” I whisper, pulling her aside, “I don’t know why Loki is doing this, he does hate his father, but I don’t think the intention is to kill him, he’s ailing since the queen died, and he is in no fit state to rule Asgard—nor does Loki believe Thor is fit—may he be or not. Loki isn’t ideal, but he’s what we’ve got. And he’s been through hell—we both have. Give him his moment of glory.”

          “Tell me,” whispers Sif. “Tell me.”

---

          “Go ahead, I’m listening,” Sif is sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet dangling, back and forth, back and forth in a hypnotic motion, while I’m sitting on mine, keeping them still.

          “After Loki sent the destroyer to Midgard—well, he only ever wanted one thing, his father’s favor. He knew what he was going to do, that he wished for death. But before that day on the bridge—he wrote me a note. He said that he left me a riddle and a clue at the back of a book we were reading—a book about infinity stones. We were good friends before his parentage was revealed, and nothing changed. I did not judge him for his race, and it did not matter that the Jotun killed my parents—they aren’t all like that, and I learned that. Anyway, so I thought he was dead—we all did, but I read his note and solved the riddle. It led me to Queen Frigga’s ancient locket of legend, where I was able to see Loki, where he was. He hid himself from me with illusions, but I saw through them, and he revealed he survived the fall and was in captivity by the titan, Thanos, who’s desire is to obtain all six infinity stones, space, time, power, reality, soul, and mind, and with them he can obliterate half the universe—Loki discovered this, and he was unable to explain, speak Thanos’ name without feeling a pain without bounds, oh, I can’t describe it, then I blamed myself for it.

          “I destroyed the locket, although he warned me against it—Thor was there too, and little did I know that it would send me to the last locket destination. Loki was resisting Thanos, holding out for as long as he could, tired of serving evil, but it was too much. Thor and I tried to share the pain, but Loki gave in—he made Thanos promise to protect me—sent us home with his magic—all for me. Then Thanos gave him the mind stone and sent him to Midgard to get the soul stone. My brother and some others fought him on Midgard, and I was able to get him back—only after he had caused massive destruction in his brainwashed state. But the space stone, the tesseract, is now safely on Asgard, and we WILL NOT disclose the location to him, but the mind stone was lost on Midgard, and Thanos believes Loki still has it—”

          Sif looks at me, wide-eyed in disbelief from all that I have revealed. “Do you want me to keep going?”

          “If you want…I won’t—”

          “No, it’s fine. So, then, we got intercepted on our way back to Asgard—Thor left with the tesseract to protect it—then Loki and I were stranded in a room, with Thanos’ daughter—Nova. She tried to get the stones out of us, any way she could. Oh, I was so scared. The pain—it was—I can’t describe it. Then she gave us twenty-four hours to live, and I thought it would never end. We still refused, then she proposed to kill us. Let me also explain, she was part metal—did not know love, she was—pathetic. Well, she wanted to break him—for him to give up the stones—and his brother’s location—she pieced it together. Then, she tried to kill me—slowly—the pain—I just wanted it to end—I asked Loki—he had a knife—and I just couldn’t take it—then he was about to tell—to crack. But Thor came back and saved us—then the convergence, and Loki’s imprisonment, Svartelheim, all that. I trust Thor will deal with the dark elves in no time, but—Loki died there on Svartelheim—it wasn’t a cheap trick—but they weren’t—they aren’t done,” my voice rises in urgency, “And I saw the true horrors of Thanos—he killed his own daughter—had a device—her metal arm—rigged when Nova went against him. But there was—is—I’m sure she survived—another, Aura, and Loki blew a thing, the ceiling came down—in the cave, and then he got trapped in the tunnel—told me to run—I did, and that’s when I called you. I don’t know why the planet self-destructed, but—I think it was for her—Nova—planet Nova—he loved her in his own twisted way—”

          “Wow.” Sif is staring at me with a mix of awe, horror, and confusion. “I didn’t—I didn’t know.”       

          “I didn’t either. I never knew that life was so—” I don’t know what I was going to say, weird, crazy, evil, wrong, short, long, lovely, complicated, but it all spills over anyway, as Sif gives me an awkward pat on the back.

          “You know, girlfriend? You’ve seen shit. But you can increase your squad to two.”

          “What about Thor,” I let out a shaky laugh.

          “Three then. But I’m pretty sure a lot of them don’t get along.”

          “Well, it’s Sif we’re talking to! Doesn’t get along with anyone!”

          “Sure, fine. I guess you and Loki can go to space stuff and I’ll be deputy queen or whatever. Sounds fun. Can’t be too hard, right? Just wear a funny Odin disguise, talk like an old man, tell stories, drink wine—a few balls here, a few delegations there, you know the drill.”

          “I fear for you, Sif,” I whisper, as I turn to leave, “And I fear for Asgard.”

---

“Loki, what do you want?” I whisper, “It’s three in the morning.”

          “All the better. At least the moon is out—no clouds, lots of stars. Remember that night in the garden?” We’re standing on the edge of the forest now, far from the royal garden.

          “Yes, Loki, of course? Why? Do you need to talk?”

          “Thor almost ruined our fun, didn’t he?”

          “Well, I wasn’t here today. But I hear you deceived him and took the guise of Odin, and Thor turned down the throne.”

          “He’ll know in time.”

          “Loki, I’m not on board with this. I’m sorry.”        

          “I’m only trying to do what’s right. I always was.”

          “No. You were only trying to do what was best for yourself.”

          “Do you not remember all the times I saved you from Thanos and his daughters?”

          “Flattery,” I whisper, “I won’t buy it.”

          “I didn’t do it for show, Ingrid. I said I loved you, I mean it.”

          “Stop with the empty words, Loki,” I whisper, the doubt running through my brain. Maybe Calder was right.

          “Do I lie to you, Ingrid? You’re the only person to which I speak the truth.”

          “Why? Shouldn’t you be more honest?”

          “Maybe it’s not in my nature. Maybe I am just a Frost Giant.”

          “I didn’t mean it that way, Loki, but I won’t have it anymore. You are king now, whether or not I like it, and I have to obey you. I am nothing but a subject to you Loki.”

          “As much as I am only a Frost Giant are you only a subject.”

          “Don’t hide your true feelings. Just tell me.”

          “I meant everything I said. I was able to tell you everything.”

          “Then I was just a tool, someone you could come to for support on your scheme? I should’ve realized it long ago.”

          “Do you trust me, Ingrid?” he reaches out his hand, slowly.

          “The last time you asked me that it was part of a trick—a trap.”

          “My little games. To see if you truly loved me.”

          “What?” I take a step back, trying to read his face in the dark.

          “The Wool of Truth. It does seem like a long time ago now, but you did pass the trial, and the wool does not lie. Do you still love me? Or would your heart be with another.”

          “I don’t know how I feel,” I say, my head spinning with a swarm of thoughts, “But I’m sorry for what I said, if I made it sound—of course I’m not going to just abandon you—”

          “So, the answer is ‘no’. Tell me, where is your heart? With Fandral? My brother? Perhaps one of the many maidens of Asgard?”

          “No, no, not them. Not anyone. I just don’t know.”

          “You told it to the wool. Tell me now. Three times, or more, I said it, and you are yet to confess your love to my face.”

          “I—”

          “When we were younger, you were always there, we were the best of friends. Now it is more than that. An older, more mature feeling of love, dare I say a sexual love? Although it is much more. I thought you would feel the same after everything.”

          The well of thoughts in my head just got a thousand times deeper as I try to fish for the one thing I always knew about myself but would never admit.

          “If you won’t admit it, fine. But perhaps, you will take my offer. Allow me, for once, to do the kneeling, he says, going down on one knee “I, Loki, temporary King of Asgard, Prince of Jotunheim, would like to ask you to be my Queen.”

          I remember now, the first time we met, when I kneeled for him, but a young prince. It’s all coming full-circle. I take a breath, trying to prepare my answer. “Get up, Loki,” I say, softly, like that first time when he told me not to kneel. He called me Miss—Miss Ingrid. Mrs. Laufeyson. No. Mrs. Odinson. Still awkward and strange. Queen Ingrid. No, my name was never something I was boastful of. Lady Laufeyson, perhaps. But this is all irrelevant, I know, because we are not to wed.

          “Loki…” I begin, trying to find the words, “It isn’t what you think. I do care for you deeply, Loki, you know that. I just—I cannot love you in that way.”

          “I knew your heart belonged to another,” says Loki, coldly, turning away, “I’d best be going.”

          “No, Loki,” I whisper to the dark, “Don’t go.” It’s all coming full circle. All the times he asked me to stay—

          “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

          “No, Loki,” I whisper, afraid of being turned to ice or alienated forever. But I will be a strong, independent woman and handle this. “It’s not like that at all. I’m asexual, Loki.”

          There is a long silence as he slowly turns back, and I fear the worst. “Why didn’t you tell me.”

          No. We can’t let this happen again. Hiding things behind his back. But the problem is, I was hiding from myself. “I didn’t know—well I knew, but I was hiding. I never thought about it with you, only—everything else. I love you, Loki. And I accept on the condition, but I won’t expect you to be satisfied. Find a woman who can satisfy you…”

          “I can’t imagine anyone else, Ingrid. And I can’t rule alone. And Sif isn’t exactly an ideal partner. She wouldn’t have me anyway.”

          “It’s okay. I understand if you don’t—”

          “It doesn’t matter, Ingrid. It was just a thought. But I’ll take what I can get.” And for a moment, everything is nearly perfect. Then I hear a deafening roar and a crash, and I’m on the ground, seeing stars.