(Y/n)'s P.O.V.

After the rather anti climactic fight between the two Asgardian princes and who I learnt, was called a Kronan, from my newest friend and guide lady Sif, the battle was over and although the atmosphere was still chaotic, there was an air of calm among the people.

The Asgardian soldiers had rounded up all the prisoners and were leading the place they would be imprisoned before being taken to main prison, back at the Realm Eternal. I had decided to stand on the sidelines, under the shade of the trees which were not yet burnt or burning when I heard the crunching of leaves next to me with the clinking of an armor.

I smiled.

"Greetings, oh valiant prince.", I greeted. I looked the tall man who stood next to me, his helmet held in his hands.

"Greetings, fair lady (Y/n). Might I be so bold as to ask why you seem to be standing here, when there are so many people eagerly waiting to meet out there?", He questioned in a curious tone. I folded my arms over my chest and let out a small chuckle before looking at my feet.

"I could ask you the same thing, you know. Ouch.", I replied, poking my finger on one of the horns in his helmet.

"Because the reason behind their eagerness to meet me is quite the contrary of the one meeting you. Besides, there is only one lady I wish to meet at the moment." I turned towards him, leaning back by a few inches, my eyebrow arched and a smirk plastered on my face.

"Oh? A lady? We have a lady now, do we? Not bad, Snowflake, not bad at all." I teased, poking the side of his stomach with my elbow. He let out a small chuckle before looking down and nodding, turning towards me, putting his free hand on his waist.

"Well then, what's her name and where does she live?" Loki simply let a mischievous smile dance on his lips, looking at his brother who seemed to be engaged in a conversation with a warrior I was introduced with moments before, a part of the Warriors Three, Hogun.

"Oh come on, Loki! Don't make me plead now!", I exclaimed, not being able to bear my curiosity as well as the silence.

"I am not going to lie, (Y/n) I am feeling quite tempted to." I smacked his arm playfully.

"It seems the younger prince of Asgard has done away with his manners, after all. Don't you know it is rude to keep a lady waiting, sir!" He looked at me raising his eyebrow now.

"Oh? And is it fair for a lady to hide things from the person who basically was her guardian on a foreign battlefield, madam?" I tried to think of a quick reply to counter his remark but for the first time in my life, I found my self tongue-tied. My mind travelled back to the night in Pragjyotispur and I could almost hear my brother's voice in my ears.

(Y/n), a suggestion. When you find someone who can defeat you in a conversation, get down on one knee and propose to them. They are your perfect match...

Right now, I couldn't help but let a small laugh escape myself. And when I caught the Frost Giant staring at me, I knew it had not gone unnoticed.

"Let's have a deal, shall we?", He tried. I scrunched my nose.

"You'll find that I do not strike deals with the Devil too often, Laufeyson." He cocked his head to the side.

"Ah, but then it means you do strike deals with the Devil." I shrugged.

"Eh, only the fun ones when we meet each Wednesday for a cup of tea and some Samosas."

"Why Wednesday?"

"Why not Wednesday?" I looked at him with my left eye brow raised and the left end of my lip twitched upwards. At the positioning of my visage, the demigod couldn't help but burst out laughing, himself, his head leaned backwards.

"Something tickling your funny bone, Prince Loki?", I questioned, once his laughter had come to cease, leaving only a smile as a residue. He shook his head.

"No, nothing. Nothing at all, Crown Princess (Y/n). Nothing, except my own foolishness.", He confessed looking at me. I gasped in feign shock, putting a hand on my chest and leaning backwards.

"Is it true what I hear? Is the second prince actually admitting to one of his vices?" His chest rumbled with a chuckle as he nodded.

"Perhaps, the fair princess would like to learn it too.", He suggested in a dignified tone. I raised my head in a haughtily, before looking back at him with a slight smile.

He mimicked my actions.

"It's just that I had thought that I won't find anyone who could ever keep up with me when it comes to banter."

"But?"

"But, it would seem that the fates have taken my challenge a bit too seriously and besides," He now said turning towards me to face me.

"There is no point in telling you about this lady when you are going to meet her anyway in a few hours." He smirked at me cockily. "You might as well find out for yourself then."

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What?"

"Yes, and that was the reason behind why I came to you. Lady Sif has invited you to her tent so that you may change your attire before all of us leave for Asgard to report to King Odin of our victory. And by the way Thor is rounding all of these goons up, I suggest you make haste.", He said, transferring his helmet from his left arm to the right and offering me his right hand to help me get down from the elevated piece of land we stood upon.

I however had other concerns and just as I was about to voice them, I was interrupted.

"Thor has sent a message to your precious little Avengers in Midgard that our arrival shall be a bit delayed
", He cleared, moving his palm towards me. I chuckled looking at the ground, before looking up again.

"Seems like the princes of Asgard have decoded me quite well. A bit concerning but at least I don't have to worry about Bruce grounding me for the rest of my existence or my precious little Avengers killing you on site on the charges of kidnapping me."

"Now, shall we?"I said placing my hand softly on the extended palm.

The raven haired man curled his slender fingers around the tip of mine and before I could realise what he was doing, Loki bent down slightly and placed a soft kiss on my knuckles.

To say I was taken aback would be an understatement.

It was not that I wasn't used to this gesture, no.

There had been many instances where I had someone kiss my knuckles. In many places it is a sign of respect and even at times the way in which ladies are greeted by the opposite gender.

It was in fact, a gesture, I became quite accustomed to thanks to the many royal engagements I had to attend.

It was, just that, I wasn't accustomed to it with the amount of sincerity and tenderness Loki had done it with. Not since Samrat.

Samrat was the only other person who would grab my hand and place a soft kiss on my knuckles. Sometimes it was random. Sometimes it was when he saw I was stressed. Sometimes it would be when he was done dressing my wounds, a task he insisted on, after I was back from one of my missions.

That was his way of making sure he knew I was there and that I knew he was there. Even the last time he left me, before he went to the war, he didn't go without placing a kiss on my knuckles.

Now, when Loki repeated this small gesture, I don't know what came over me at that moment but my eyes automatically filled up with tears threatening to spill over.

All of the grief I felt when I first got the news of Sam's martyrdom came rushing back to me, as if it were a strong wave, pulling me down with its herculean force. The words repeated themselves in my head. The visions flashed mercilessly in front of my eyes. My breath got caught in my throat.

For that moment, the entire situation seemed grave and all those feeling which I had suppressed ever since I put my boot on the ground of Vanaheim were let loose too.

The questions I had hushed up screamed in my ears, a deafening symphony of catastrophe and chaos.

On the other side however, my logic yelled at me to anchor myself. To hold on to something. To do something. Anything. To do anything but stand there paralyzed in front of the man who, during the past few hours we had been acquainted, did nothing but made me laugh, have a good conversation and protect me.

To do anything.

To pull myself back together.

To pull myself out of this train wreck.

Loki however, unbeknownst to my internal turmoil lifted his head with a bright smile and till date, I have never seen a smile die so quickly as it did on his lips when he saw my agape mouth, water rimmed eyes and tear marked, red nosed face.

Immediately, he dropped my hand and was about to back away a few inches. Only I didn't let him.

Just as he was about to get away from me, I grabbed his hand and with a single strong pull, pulled him into my arms into, what I attempted, a bone crushing hug.

One, into which I attempted to put everything I felt.

The overwhelming sensation of being in a foreign land, the heartache of loosing someone who held a piece of my heart, the gratitude towards him for making me feel the way I did with him again and the apology for hurting him without it being his fault. The desperation for me to hold onto something. The desperation for a hand to hold me. The desperation for some reinforcements to fight these newly emerging demons.

All the words, despite being a silver tongue, I could never, ever, speak.

Except, perhaps, one.

"Thank you.", I whispered into his shoulder. I think my voice was heavier with emotion than I had thought it to be since, after I uttered those words, I heard the faint clunk of a metal helmet fall on the ground below and strong arms wrap themselves around me.

Loki too, put his head lightly on my shoulder and rubbed comforting circles on my back.

"Never mention it, darling. Never mention it.", He assured before letting me go once he felt my grip loosen.

He then produced, with his magic, a handkerchief and offered it to me. I sent him a grateful smile and dabbed my eyes on it before hand it back to him.

"Do you feel alright now?", He questioned, keeping his hand not on my arm but close to it. I smiled at this small display of his chivalry and made a mental note to thank his mother for raising a wonderful son.

I nodded.

"I must apologise. I don't know what came over me and I overstepped my boundaries. I really shouldn't have---"

"Shh. You don't need to explain anything to me unless and until you are ready to.", He explained with utmost sincerity in his words and eyes.

I looked at him, dumbfounded. Nobody had ever been do open to me all my life, except my family. Everyone was always after the juicy details to have all to themselves. Or consider my actions as some sort of advances. Nobody ever opened themselves up to me like this. Not without any ulterior motive.

Everybody always found it to be some sort of circus.

Oh look, the perfect princess is faltering at last!

This time, I moved his hand hovering over my arm to my mine to hold it in my right while I bent down and picked up the helmet he had dropped and handed it back to him.

"Thank you very much, Loki. Honestly." He simply smiled and grabbed my hand again to lead us down from the place we stood.

A/n: Next update, after two months...!