Estranged Lovers

3. Back on track

Back on Asgard Loki had found the strength to confront his adoptive father.
"Why did you banish Y/N father?" he asked sternly.
"Because of her powers," Odin calmly replied.
"Her powers?"
"Yes."
Loki furrowed his brows, he did not understand.
"Why?"
"She is the Goddess of Love. He who lies with Y/N will be stronger than anyone else because his power will be amplified. It is a power fit for a Queen."
"There must be a way to undo this curse," Loki tried to reason with Odin. "I am not interested in her power, only in her love."
His plea was met with silence.

"TELL ME!" Loki screamed desperately.

"Only true love can break the curse. But that is not what is going on between the two of you."
Odin's words cut Loki deep.

"If you do not believe it to be true love then let me go to her and let me prove our love once more," tears forming in his eyes while he made his plea.
"I forbid you."
Panic and rage overwhelmed Loki but he tried once more.
"You could at least give me a chance."
"You will stay here and Y/N on Midgard."

Loki snapped, trying to hold on for dear life to the last piece of self-restrain he could muster.
"Do you believe you can keep us apart?!" His voice nearing a scream. He walked towards Odin. "I will go to her and make her remember me," Loki stood inches from Odin as he spat his rage into his face "Mark my words, we will be together again!"
Loki left Odin to search for his lost lover.

Back on Earth Y/N fitted in rather easily. She had some trouble at first using equipment she didn't remember ever using before, like a mobile phone or a computer. But Stephen gave her lessons and she was quick to catch on. So quick that she started to get bored sitting around the house.

Stephen and Y/N would regularly go out for walks, groceries hopping or running other errands. And many times Y/N would come up with random facts about Norse mythology.
One day they walked by an alley with a bunch of stray cats.
"Did you know there was a Norse Goddess whose chariot was pulled by two cats," Y/N stated matter-of-factly.
"Y/N...." Stephen looked at her stunned as he stopped walking, "How do you know that?"
She looked at him, realisation spreading over her face. "I... I don't know."

Another time, when Y/N was reading the obituaries in the New York Times she wondered out loud if Odin would have these poor souls in Valhalla or if they went to Folkvang, "Maybe neither since they probably didn't die in battle. But then again, maybe there isn't such a thing as the after-life. What do you think?" she looked at Stephen only to find him looking really confused.
"Oh! It happened again. I remembered something again!" Y/N jumped out of her seat and into Stephen's arms who welcomed her willingly.
He took hold of her waist firmly as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around, both laughing in the process.
"What in the name of Cagliostro are you two doing?" Wong interrupted them.
As Y/N's feet touched the ground she ran towards Wong, "I remembered something again!"

Over the course of two weeks, she read everything she could find on Norse Gods and deities, finding she knew most of the things she read.

One afternoon Stephen was on the phone, "Yes, she'll be there."
Y/N walked into the study and saw him sitting behind the desk.
He held up a finger, gesturing her to wait for him while standing up at the same time.
"No, I'll make sure of it. Interview tomorrow, official start next week," he summarised walking towards her.
"Okay, yes, yes, bye." He hung up the phone.
"What was that about?"
"You have a job interview tomorrow, and if it goes well you'll start next week." He smiled arrogantly.
"What?" She was so happy, "As what?"
"You'll be putting your Norse expertise to good use at the University. You'll have to give lectures and everything." Stephen felt so proud for being the one who made that happen, for being the one who made her smile like that.

Y/N was beside herself with joy, no more boredom! "Oh Stephen, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
She hugged him and, as if it was the most natural thing for her to do, she kissed his cheek.
"I'm telling Wong!" She sprinted out of the room leaving Stephen alone.

He raised his fingers towards his face, grazing the spot she kissed him ever so lightly, careful not to brush away the feeling but savouring it.

---

After searching for weeks Loki still had no luck. He knew she was on Midgard but without Heimdall, he would never find out exactly where. Heimdall was never kind to him so Loki turned to Thor for help.
"Heimdall!" Thor bellowed while walking the rainbow road, his red cape trailing him.
"Tell me, where is Y/N."
Heimdall looked out into what seemed nothing, "She is in New York, on Midgard. She is with a sorcerer."
"What of this sorcerer? What has he told her?"
Luckily Heimdall had anticipated this moment and he had been keeping tabs on Y/N since her banishment.
"She has been told that she was in a car accident in front of the sorcerer's house. She believes to be a specialist on Norse gods since that was all she could remember. She already has a job at the University giving lectures about... Well, about all of us here on Asgard."

Thor left immediately to give Loki the news.

After Thor had given Loki the information he needed he went to the vault to collect the Casket of Ancient Winters which he hid with his magic. He then confronted Heimdall who was tasked with stopping Loki from leaving Asgard on behalf of Odin.

"Let me pass Heimdall," Loki said almost bored because he already knew how this was going to play out.
"You know that I am not allowed," Heimdall countered. He held his sword with the tip on the ground, both hand firmly gripping the hilt.
"It's been weeks. I am going to Midgard and you will not stop me."
"Maybe not, but I can try," and with that Heimdall raised his sword. But before he was able to strike down, Loki had skilfully conjured up the Casket of Ancient Winters and froze Heimdall in his place.

"You'll melt when the sun comes up," Loki half-smiled while walking past Heimdall.