I know I promised not to disappear again but I still did.... Sorry 😭

Anyhow, someone had requested a part 2 for the 4th imagine so here it is!

Edit: it was professixnalfangirl

"Sure Maura, whatever you say", Hannah Stark said sarcastically as she held up her drunk friend.

"I'm not lying", Maura slurred, "he promised me that he would be back! He may be the God of lies but he would never lie to me...."

"Let's just get her home", Emma Barton sighed, sliding out of her seat as she lifted her equally drunk brother off the table.

"It's been five fucking years", Hannah swore, "and she still goes on about that douche!"

"I don't know Hannah, what if she's telling the truth?" Isaac Banner asked timidly, "Besides, she isn't the kind of person to cook up stories."

"I don't care about all that", Hannah spat out with a frown, "all I know is that this bullshit is making my best friend suffer and we have to put an end to it."

"Calm down Stark", Frank Barton mumbled, "you'll get wrinkles and then no guy will ever come near you."

"Shut it brother", Emma said, flicking his forehead before patting Hannah's back to calm her down.

"Let's not fight, ok?" Isaac Banner said while fidgeting, "you're making me quite nervous...."

No one said a word after that as they got into the cab. It had become a tradition for the five friends to go out once a year and get completely wasted as they listened to Maura's dreamy tales of her trickster god. Said woman was now working for S.H.I.E.L.D., and was in her late twenties, and as someone in her mid thirties, Hannah hated seeing her best friend waste away her youth.

"I probably shouldn't have stayed out so long", Isaac muttered nervously as he ran a hand through his tousled hair, "My department has that monthly security check thing tomorrow, and I heard that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s higher authorities will be there too...."

"Relax, you've got to let loose and live a little", shooting him a side ways smirk, Hannah continued, "besides, I'll be there to charm the pants off Alex- darling, so you need not worry."

"Director Romanoff might not be there tomorrow", Isaac said with a frown while Emma rolled her eyes at the girl's antics, "besides, don't you have a press conference tomorrow?"

"Ah, I'll leave my trusted secretary to handle that", Hannah said with a grin.

"Your 'trusted secretary' happens to be completely wasted", Emma said, gesturing to her brother, who was drooling in his sleep in the front seat, "and as the CEO of Stark industries it's your duty to attend the conference being held to announce the fact that every building belonging to the company is now running on clean energy. This was one of your great grandfather's biggest projects, remember?"

"All of my great grandfather's projects were big", Hannah said cockily, "and if he were around, I'm certain that he wouldn't attend the conference. Or if he did, he would make a grand entrance...."

"Please don't do something reckless", Isaac groaned as he saw her thoughtful expression, "I won't be there to clean up your mess tomorrow!"

"And after what happened last time, I'm definitely not helping you", Emma scoffed, "and given Maura's condition, I doubt that she'll be of much help either."

"We have to do something about this", Hannah said with a frown, "tomorrow, once we're done with our work for the day, we'll meet up."

"Text us the details", Emma called out as she dragged her brother out of the car, followed by Isaac who gave Hannah a small smile and a wave.

"Remember what I said, and don't do anything reckless", Isaac warned the woman.

"I'll make no promises!" she yelled out from the cab window, making Emma facepalm.

*** *** *** ***

"Maura love will you please do me this one favour?" Isaac said softly.

Maura sighed and rubbed her forehead, holding her phone between her shoulder and ear as she made herself some coffee.

"I'll try my best to make sure that Hannah stays out of trouble, but I doubt that there's much I can do...."

"Thanks a bunch Maura, you're a life saver!" Isaac exclaimed, before continuing in a hushed tone, "the higher ups are here, so I have to go.... Take care, ok?"

"I will", Maura mumbled, "tell Alexandra that I said hello, and that I miss her."

"Director Romanoff won't be there, but if I see her I'll pass on the message. Bye!" Isaac said in a hurry.

Mumbling a 'bye', Maura placed the phone on the kitchen counter and sipped her coffee as she eyed the date.

It's been five years....

Trying to blink back tears, Maura began with her daily routine.

The water is ice cold, just like his hands....

She thought while washing the mug.

The hot water is making me dizzy, just like when I was in his loving embrace....

She thought while showering.

The stone sparkles under the sun, just like his emerald eyes....

She thought as she wore her necklace.

The bread is soft and pale, just like his skin....

She thought to herself as she ate her sandwich, before pausing mid bite and smacking her forehead.

"I think I've finally lost it! Comparing a man's skin to bread?! What is wrong with me!" Maura exclaimed, shaking her head as she laughed at her stupidity.

Ok, the moment I step out of the house, I will stop thinking about him....

Her heels clicked against marble floor as she got into the elevator, breathing deeply to calm her nerves before taking out a mint flavoured mouth freshner.

It's minty, just like his breath in my dreams....

The thought flashed in her mind, and the woman gritted her teeth before letting out a sound of annoyance as she stormed out of the elevator, scaring the life out of the apartment's security guard. Hailing a cab, she quickly told the man the address and slammed the door shut, before putting on her headphones and staring out of the window, and as she crossed her old house on the way, she absent-mindedly wondered whether the Trickster had ever come back, only to find the place empty.

*** *** *** ***

Maura smoothed out the non- existent wrinkles on her black dress for the nth time, glancing at her phone to check the time before trying to call Hannah again. The CEO was late as usual, and even her secretary was nowhere to be seen.

(A/N:- The pic of the dress is the media)

"Maura!"

Said woman jumped when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Isaac?" She said in disbelief as she looked at the disheveled man in front of her, "but I thought you-"

The scientist cut her off by holding up a finger, trying to catch his breath before standing straight.

"I couldn't stop worrying over Hannah, and I was done with my bit, so I asked if I could be excused."

"Isaac, you don't have to stress yourself so much...." Maura mumbled, knowing that his anxiety was surfacing again, but not knowing how to deal with it.

"She may not show it, but today is a big day for her", Isaac said softly, "she's been getting severe criticism for being a woman in a man dominated sector, and today is the day that she will finally get the recognition that she deserves. As her friend, I wanted to be there for her."

"Isaac took the words right out of my mouth", Emma said from behind Maura, making her turn with surprise.

She smiled brightly, nodding her head in agreement, before mumbling that Frank was the only one left to arrive. Suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder tightly and a voice whispered a 'hello' in her ear, making Maura jump as she freaked out and grabbed onto the person, fully prepared to judo flip them when the person yelled at her to calm down.

"Oh my god, Frank Barton you irresponsible jerk!" She flicked his forehead, making him wince sheepishly.

"You and your boss are in big trouble young man!" Maura continued as Emma looked at her brother with disapproval.

"Honestly brother, as Hannah's secretary you should be more responsible!"

"I'm older than you, Maura- dear", Frank said with a smirk as he used her head as an arm rest before sticking his tongue out at his sister.

"Stop that and get serious, Frank", Isaac said, sounding a bit frustrated, making Frank mumble a sorry.

"Come with me and help me do your job, Barton", Maura said teasingly, making the male roll his eyes at her but follow her anyways.

"Ah, there's Hannah!" Emma exclaimed, waving at her friends before dragging Isaac off to give the Stark female a lecture.

*** *** *** ***

"Good luck", Isaac whispered to Hannah.

"You'll be fine", Maura added confidently.

"I'm a Stark, sweetheart, I'll be better than fine", Hannah said, smirking shakily.

"I'll believe you when you say that after you get that uncertain look off your face", Emma teased her.

"Ms. Stark, we're ready" Frank said, before letting go of his professional attitude for a moment and smiling at Hannah, "good luck."

"Those two may be extremely playful and childish, but when the time comes they are completely focused and hard working", Emma muttered in amazement, and everyone silently agreed.

"Guys, we have a problem", Maura said hurriedly after making sure that Hannah couldn't hear her.

"Ok, how bad can it be?" Emma said optimistically after a moment of silence ensued.

*** *** *** ***

"Pretty bad, apparently", Emma muttered to herself as she counted her arrows.

"Their timing is the worst", Isaac groaned out, running one hand through his hair worriedly while gripping his gun tightly with the other.

"Stupid Hydra, always getting in our way", Emma continued, now cleaning her bow with a dark expression.

Maura bit her lip as she played with her daggers, keeping her eyes peeled for anything unusual.

"All this waiting is killing me", Eldrid muttered, performing fancy tricks with her double edged spear out of boredom.

Maura couldn't help but silently agree with the daughter of Thor. Looking at Eldrid (or Eli,as they all called her), the striking similarity between father and daughter didn't go unnoticed. Both had the same blonde locks and perfect jawline, and both exuded power and royalty. The only difference was that Eli had inherited her mother's brown eyes. It was unnerving to see that the man she loved had a brother who was married and had a child of her age, but given that they were gods with impressive life spans, she figured it wasn't too strange for them.

"Watch out!" Eli yelled, making Emma narrowly miss getting shot by an arrow.

Two arrows came right at Maura at an alarming speed, but the girl managed to catch one and slice the other with one of her daggers just in time. Eli let out a loud laugh, making everyone turn to her.

"Ah, finally! I was getting so bored I was afraid that I'd fall asleep and miss the fight!"

"Maybe now isn't the time to provoke them, Eli", Emma muttered after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, let's finish this off as quickly and quietly as possible,with minimum casualties, ok?" Isaac said as he took aim.

"What a shame. Well, I suppose we have no choice." Eli sighed, before charging at the Hydra agents.

*** *** *** ***

"This is a mess", Eli growled out as she flung two Hydra agents off her and into a wall.

"Agreed", Maura panted, brushing her hair out if her face as she fought three agents furiously, "my hair is getting in the way, my make up is smudged, and my dress is torn."

"It's sad really", Frank joked as he guided some civilians to safety, "that something like this happened when she was looking sexy for once in her life."

"Please", Hannah scoffed, her voice muffled because of her suit, "that ass of hers can make even a trash bag look sexy."

"I think I should be saying that about you!" Maura called out as she kneed one guy in the balls.

"I must admit, both the ladies have amazing behinds", Eli added as she electrocuted a bunch of agents.

"Guys, can we just focus?" Isaac called out in vain as he shot an agent in the head.

"WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S BEHINDS WHEN WE'RE ABOUT TO DIE" Emma yelled as she ran away from two agents who she'd accidentally set on fire.

"We're not going to die, Emma", Maura said calmly as one Hydra agent shot an arrow into her side while the other attempted to strangle her.

"Yeah", Frank grunted as he rushed over to Maura to help her, "I refuse to go out in such a lame manner. I wish I could say the same about Maura- dear though, she's looking a bit pale."

"You're too funny, Frank", Maura muttered, pulling the man aside before stabbing the agent behind him, "I can already feel my soul descending to hell as I die from laughing at your amazing joke."

"Can you please stop joking about death in such a casual manner?!" Isaac snapped suddenly.

"Sorry mom", Maura and Frank responded in unison.

"You better be s- wait who are you two calling your mother?!" Isaac exclaimed furiously, making Frank chuckle and Maura wink at him playfully.

"Well, I'm done here", Hannah called out as she landed next the Emma.

"Me too", the woman said while gasping for air, tired from all the running around, while Isaac, Maura, and Frank let out a chorus of 'me too' as well.

"I'm done as well, but I'm keeping these two alive for interrogation", Eli said as she stepped over the bodies of the agents she had electrocuted, their faces covered with ash and their hair spiky like Albert Einstein's.

"I found something rather interesting", she continued as she threw the agents on the floor and stood on their hands, making them yell in pain, while holding up a few arrows, "these people seemed to have got their hands on Eitr."

"What- how?" Maura asked, looking shocked, before deciding to elaborate upon seeing everyone's confused expressions.

"In Norse mythology, the liquid Eitr is both the source of life and a means to end it. When fragments of ice from Niflheim- the primordial ice realm of the north encountered sparks from Muspelheim- the primordial realm of fire to the south in the Ginnungagap- the yawning void between the realms, the ice melted. This runoff was Eitr, the generative substance which created the giant Ymir."

She paused to take a breath, before continuing.

"The gods fashioned the earth from Ymir's flesh, the oceans from his blood, the mountains from his bones, the trees from his hair, the clouds from his brain. Midgard, the realm of men, was made from Ymir's eyebrows. Eitr was thus responsible for the world and all life on it, but it was also a deadly poison, strong enough to kill gods."

"Father was right", Eli said after a moment of silence, "you Midgaurdians tell fascinating stories."

"So what you told was wrong, Maura- dear", Frank said, bursting into peals of laughter.

"It wasn't exactly wrong", Eli said, "it's just a little more fancy than the actual story. The point I wanted to make still stands though."

"You mean how did Hydra manage to get it's hands on this wonder liquid?" Emma said.

"Exactly", Eli said with a frown.

There was silence for a moment as everyone began to collect their things and a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived to clear up the mess.

"Ah, so they decide to show up now", Maura muttered as she picked up her heels.

"I would have come far sooner if it weren't for Lady Romanoff", a booming voice said.

"For the last time, just call me Alexandra", another feminine voice said as a mop of red curls came into view.

"Father!" Eli exclaimed in surprise, before quickly composing herself, "were you watching? How was I in battle? I told you I could handle myself, didn't I?"

"You were magnificent, my daughter", Thor said proudly as he patted her back roughly, "I wished to join as well, but Lady Romanoff held me back."

"Please don't call me that, I'm not my great grandmother, Thor", Alexandra said, rolling her eyes at his childish behaviour.

Thor went silent as his blue eyes turned melancholic, making him look as though he was in an entirely different world at the moment. He looked back at the Director, observing her with a sad smile.

"You are right.... Lady Alexandra. My apologies. However, I must say that you are a splitting image of her, not just in terms of appearance, but strength and character as well."

".... Thank you", Alexandra muttered awkwardly, before turning to Maura, who updated her and Thor on everything that happened.

"The cure to this poison is available on Asgard alone", Eli said, making Isaac look at her in worry.

"Fear not, the poison is not fatal for our people", Thor said, "but I don't know of their effects on mortals. As of now, I think it's best that we go to Asgard in search of answers."

"Wait, we?" Maura asked, Thor's words registering in her brain a second too late.

"Heimdall!" He called out, and before Maura could even react, a bright beam of light had surrounded them.

The rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents looked on in shock as Alexandra sighed with frustration over Thor's impulsive behaviour.

"I hate it when he does that", Paula Coulson mumbled, before asking everyone to get back to work.

*** *** *** ***

"Welcome back, Prince Thor, Princess Eldrid", Heimdall said, his golden eyes going over each individual as he spoke, "and welcome to Asgard, Frank Barton, Isaac Banner, Hannah Stark, Emma Banner.... and Maura Adams."

Maura tried to shake off the odd feeling she got when the gatekeeper paused at her name as he stared at her, his golden eyes sparkling with an unrecognisable emotion.

"It's kind of creepy how he knows all our names", Frank said quietly as he shuddered.

"I heard it's his job, knowing everything about everyone I mean", Emma whispered back.

"That doesn't make it any less creepy", Hannah muttered.

"You guys do realise that our voices echo here, right?" Isaac said suddenly, making everyone shut up immediately.

One of the agents suddenly escaped from Eli's grip, scrambling away as he tried to take out the pill inside the pendant of his necklace. Maura shot forward and grabbed his arm, twisting it back and holding her dagger against his throat.

"Did you really think we'd let you die so easily?" She hissed as he groaned in pain due to his fractured arm.

"Hello brother", a familiar voice said in a mischievous tone, making Maura freeze, before turning to its source unintentionally.

"Loki", Thor said stifly, while Eli grinned and waved at her uncle.

Maura averted her gaze the moment the Prince's eyes reached her own, staring at the bifrost walls with utmost interest as she tried to stop herself from fidgeting.

I'm so frickin screwed.

"We must visit the healers at once, Uncle Loki. The Midgaurdians have been wounded", Eli said.

"Do you need both of them alive, or is one of them sufficient for an interrogation?" Isaac asked regarding the agents as they moved towards the city.

"Why do you ask?" Loki said, completely avoiding the question.

"I was wondering if I could use one of them as a test subject", Isaac said nonchalantly, "as apparently the effects of this Eitr on mortals are unknown."

"I don't know if now's the right time to say this", Maura began, looking at Isaac warily, "but I think I got stabbed by one of those arrows...."

"You think?!" Isaac exclaimed furiously, "And why didn't you say this before?"

".... I forgot", Maura mumbled sheepishly.

"Maura...." Isaac all but growled out.

"I'm sorry, please don't kill me!", Maura yelped, preparing to run away upon seeing the man's expression.

"Considering your lack of concern towards yourself, I won't have to", Isaac snapped as he held her by the back of her torn dress.

*** *** *** ***

"What must we do now, father?" Thor asked after informing the Allfather regarding the situation.

"We shall keep one of them in our prison and interrogate him", the man said, "as for the other agent, well, the mortals can do what they wish with him."

Isaac grinned suddenly, making the healer bandaging his arm look at him with unease. Hannah rolled her eyes and patted the man's back.

"Calm down you crazy scientist, you're scaring the doctors."

"Healers", Maura said, correcting her out of habit.

"Same thing you nerd", Frank said as he pinched the girl's cheek.

"Stop that", Maura said, rolling her eyes when the man grinned and pinched her cheeks again.

"Don't wanna", he said cheekily, completely ignorant to a certain person's piercing glare.

"The herbs will take effect in a few minutes and make you extremely drowsy-" the healer began, ignoring Frank's silly behaviour.

"So those herbs were the Asgaurdian equivalent of anaesthetics? Fascinating!" Maura said, cutting her off unintentionally.

"Do as the healer says and rest, little girl", Loki said suddenly, making Maura glare at him.

"I'll take no orders from you, you're not the healer here. Besides, I have a name, and I'd appreciate it if you would use it."

"My knowledge exceeds that of your average healer, little girl", Loki said confidently, the hateful gazes of the healers in the room not bothering him at all.

"For someone who's suppose to be thousands of years old, you're incredibly petty", Maura snapped, "and I'm not a 'little girl'!"

Loki's eyes traced every inch of her body before landing back on her face as he smirked darkly.

"Oh, I can see that."

Maura froze for a moment before laying back on the bed and covering herself with the blanket.

"I refuse to continue this immature conversation", Maura said in a muffled voice.

Loki merely chuckled before patting his brother on his back and walking out of the infirmary. It was Emma, who had been looking back and forth between the two like she was watching a tennis match, who broke the silence.

"So, what's on today's menu? I'm kind of starving!"

"Oh god, I could just die from the second hand embarrassment", Isaac groaned as he hid his face in his hand.

"What was that all about?" Eli wondered out loud.

The Allfather said nothing, quietly exiting the room to speak to the golden- eyed gatekeeper.

*** *** *** ***

"What do you mean she's missing?!" Loki snapped at one of the healers.

"I'm sorry, Prince Loki but she wasn't suppose to wake up till today evening", the healer said, trying not to anger the god further.

"Maybe we should just go look for her instead of yelling around", Frank said while Hannah tried to comfort a panicking Isaac.

"Stay out of this, mortal", Loki snarled, making Emma glare at him and Frank roll his eyes.

"Come on, let's all just calm down", he patted Loki on his back, "and look around for Maura- dear, she must-"

Frank didn't get to finish his sentence as the Prince grabbed the man's neck and slammed him into the wall. The healers gasped and pushed one of their own towards the door, whispering at her in a hushed tone, telling her to fetch the Allfather.

"Don't touch me", he growled out, his eyes glowing with anger, "and don't speak of her in such a familiar manner."

"Ah", Hannah exclaimed, making everyone turn to her, "so Reindeer games does have hots for her...."

"You truly are a descendant of that man", Loki muttered distastefully, "it has become apparent to me that being annoying is a trait that runs through the Stark bloodline."

Hannah gave him a big smile and a thank you, knowing that it would annoy the man further. Loki sighed and let go of Frank, mumbling something to himself as he stormed out of the room.

"Why did you call that creep anyways?" Emma asked one of the healers.

"I'm sorry miss, but it was the Prince's order that he should be the first person to be contacted, should anything happen to Lady Maura...."

"What a weirdo", Emma scoffed out.

Everyone (the healers included) silently agreed.

*** *** *** ***

Loki stormed through the palace corridors, his anger evident to the servants as they hurried out of his way, murmuring amongst themselves. So lost in his thoughts he was, that he bumped into Heimdall accidentally. The Allfather viewed him with a curious eye as Heimdall merely smiled at the prince's absent minded behaviour.

"She is safe, and in the gardens", the gatekeeper said, his smile widening at the prince's bilgesnipe- caught- in- headlights expression.

The dark haired good muttered a quick excuse, followed by a hasty and uncharacteristic bow as he hurried away. Heimdall turned to Odin, his know- it- all smile morphing into a sad one.

"These eyes seldom show me lies, My King. As I had predicted, Prince Loki and Lady Maura are destined for one another."

"However", Odin cut him off, "whether or not they have a happy ending is something even your eyes cannot foresee, am I right?"

Heimdall's silence was all the ruler of the nine realms needed to understand that he had guessed correct.

"Prince Loki is an elusive man, and I often have trouble seeing him. What surprises me is the fact that after his visit to Midgard, I am unable to see Lady Maura as well."

The Allfather came to a stop near a window, his eye looking keenly at the prince, who appeared as a tiny dot from their position. He followed his adopted son's anxious movements, and let out a chuckle, causing Heimdall to look at him curiously.

"It seems that Lady Maura's sudden elusiveness isn't a cause of concern after all."

Heimdall said nothing, reverting his gaze to the prince. He may be all- seeing, but even he had to admit, the Allfather was a hard one to read. Heimdall chuckled to himself.

In this aspect, the king and the prince, though adopted, are indeed father and son.

*** *** *** ***

"How beautiful...." Maura murmured to herself as she gently touched a flower's petal, "the flower looks similar to that of a wild rosemary, but as far as I know, this species isn't available on Earth...."

The woman had recovered surprisingly quickly, and upon feeling claustrophobic, had decided to visit the gardens of the palace. Leaning towards the flower, she took a cautious whiff of its scent, before smiling softly. The cool morning breeze played with her hair teasingly, and her smile only widened as the morning sun's rays lit up that part of the garden. The picturesque environment, along with the grandeur of the pillars created by the Asgardian architects made Maura wish that she had a camera with her. She took in the beauty, resting against a pillar behind her, flinching as its cold stung her skin through the thin material of the gown given to her in the infirmary. She adjusted the shawl which had slipped down her shoulders, rubbing her arms together to provide relief from the bitter yet welcome cold. Lost in her own thoughts, she barely felt the presence of another until he chose to speak, making her jump out of her skin.

"The flower you were admiring was one of the many herbs used in the treatment for Eitr poisoning."

Maura froze, unable to turn and look at the source of the all too familiar voice coming from right behind the pillar she was leaning against. In her moment of shock, the only response she could come up with was a small, meek 'oh'. A moment of uncomfortable silence followed, only to be broken by Maura's awkwardness.

"So, what's up?"

"Infinite space", Loki said flatly.

"Ahh...." Maura trailed off, "anyhow, I think I have to go, I have to check on my friends."

The woman had barely taken a step towards the palace, before the fallen prince held her wrist and pushed her against the pillar. The sudden movement, along with the non existent space between them, made Maura shiver. She tilted her head to the ground, holding her breath as she felt his near her temple. After a moment or two, she carefully peaked at the Trickster God, only to find him looking at her with amusement, making her whip her head back to its original position at light speed. His painfully familiar chuckle right next to her ear sent shivers down her spine as she tightened her grip on the well crafted pillar.

"What do you want from me", she mumbled, trying to stop her voice from shaking as she felt his fingers trace a path from her cheek to her neck.

"Actually, you know what",she continued, her voice quivering as Loki's fingertips danced their way towards her wound, "you don't have the right to want anything from me, not after your lies and false promises."

His hand, which had begun caressing her wound, halted as he took in a sharp breath. The lack of a smart retort made Maura frown and look up at the man, who turned his face away, clenching his jaw.

"I have my reasons", Loki said stiffly.

"I understand that you have your reasons", Maura said as she touched his cheek and titled his face towards herself, revealing his eyes filled with pain, "but all I wanted was for you to share them with me."

"I know that I sound selfish, asking you to tell me what could be extremely personal", she continued after pausing for a moment to hold back her tears, "but that is the least I deserve, right?"

Loki felt his heart break, his face taking on the same emotions held in his eyes, as he readied himself for a painful conversation.

"When I visited you, back then.... I was being terribly impulsive and rash-"

"Ah, so everything you said was because you were caught up in the moment...."

"What- no-"

"It's ok, you don't have to say that just to make me feel better", Maura cut him off again, "though it is quite unlike you to be like that, I'll accept that reason."

Loki sighed with frustration, attempting to explain himself when Maura cut him off yet again.

"What you're doing now is also quite unlike you. You're known for your sharp tongue, so I don't understand why you're trying to let me down gently. I can honestly take it, so you don't have to go out of your way to-"

Loki banged his fist against the pillar, making Maura let out a startled yell as it began to shake. She gasped when he used a hand to grab her by her cheeks and tilt her head towards him, his emerald eyes glinting dangerously as they pierced through her, picking her apart and seeing through every bit of her.

"I have had enough of your insolence", he growled, "you dare interrupt me, a god, not once but multiple times?"

"Don't you dare look away from me!" He snapped, stopping Maura from averting her eyes, "I am the God of lies, and you think you can deceive me with your poor excuses? I can read ever inch of you, and I know you well, probably even better than you know yourself, and you expect me to believe this mature facade you're putting up?"

"You wanted to know my reasons, did you not?" Loki's voice became louder, and he continued, oblivious to her trembling form, "you know of my oaf of a brother, Thor's wife do you not? The woman, smart in all areas apart from love, in my opinion, got married to Thor against all odds and gave birth to Eldrid. Are you aware of what happened to her?"

Still trembling, Maura let out a soft 'no', which did nothing to calm the dark prince down.

"She died. She fucking died, leaving behind her broken hearted husband and her little girl", he paused for a moment, scoffing, "I know what you're going to say, 'what if she had survived?' or 'what if they decided to never have a child?', or maybe even 'what if they used Asgardian technology to make her lifespan similar to yours?'. Allow me to inform you, you foolish girl, in spite of all our developments in various fields, in spite of us being a superior species, this is one thing we cannot do."

"In conclusion", Loki continued, his voice shaking as a single tear spiller down his cheek, "no matter what, a relationship between a god and human will never last because the human will die. You'll die, just like Lady Jane, and leave me behind, all alone and broken hearted, just like my foolishly optimistic brother."

"So yes", he continued, his voice now softer as he rested his forehead against hers, "I will completely agree with you when you say that you're being selfish, not because you want to know about 'my reasons', but because deep down, even after everything I've just said, you still wish to be with me."

"And you know what", he continued, his voice cracking as another tear fell down his cheek, "I am just selfish for wanting to be with you, in spite of knowing that being with me could hurt you."

"People always talk", Maura said desperately, tears falling down her cheeks freely as she cradled his face in her palms, "we can get through this together Loki, we just have to try-"

"Darling", Loki whispered in a gentle tone, wiping away her tears, "you can lie to me, I won't mind, but I won't have you lying to yourself."

Maura broke down once again, wrapping her arms around the broken god, allowing him to burry his face in her neck.

"I'm sorry", she mumbled almost incoherently, switching between running her hands over his body and planting kisses over his face and neck, "I'm so, so sorry, for being so selfish, for letting you go through this whole thing alone...."

Loki did not attempt to stop her, trying to burn her soft caresses, feather like kisses, and her very image into his mind as he gathered her in his arms and sank down, his back now against the pillar. He placed gentle kisses over her forehead and temple, his silver tongue failing him when he needed it most. They stayed that way, until the sky turned from golden to ash, and her sobs reduced to hiccups and sniffles. They took comfort in each other's arms, knowing that unlike the eternal cycle of the sky switching colours, they were but a fleeting moment in the history of time.

*** *** *** ***

"Destiny is a bitch", Maura said, finally breaking the silence and pulling a laugh out of Loki, "turning our love into such a tragedy."

Loki lost his smile, and had no response, because he knew she was right. So, he merely hummed, stroking her hair lovingly, refusing to close his eyes to hide his pain, lest she vanished from his arms. As the stars came out, turning the sky into a veil of diamonds studded in midnight satin, the two almost lovers became painfully aware of how little time they had left. They stood up, brushing off the grass and attempting to make themselves look presentable, and turned to take different paths to the palace. Loki stopped, making a split second decision as he grabbed Maura's arm and spun her around, planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

"As the God of Tricks and Lies, I am quite a dishonorable man", he began, the desperation in his voice increasing with every word, " but believe me when I say this: I swear to you, that I'll be a better lover to you the next time we meet. So please, will you also promise me-"

"I promise that I'll give you a chance to fulfill your promise", Maura said softly, going on her tiptoes to press another kiss against his lips, "I promise, that the next time we meet, I won't allow fate to play such cruel games with our hearts."

The two broken lovers drank in the site of one another, each shining brighter than the shimmering stars in the other's eyes, and let the silence speak that which their mouths were unable to say, as they let go of each other, once and for all.

I will love you for eternity, my Loki.

I will love you beyond eternity, my darling Maura.

Sooo that took a surprisingly dark turn.... I'm sorry if that's not what you guys wanted 😅

Also, Infinity War.... I have so much to say but idk how to say it lol. The movie left me numb.... It took me nearly a week to come to terms with what happened and then I cried 😅

All the love,

Kit_kat

xxx