The Devil Is A Gentleman | Loki

21

It rarely rained in Asgard but today was one in a thousand.

Aria wouldn't be able to train, or ride, or do anything of entertainment so she decided to once again wander the halls of the palace trying to get a grasp on her navigation. It was actually working out well for a change until she turned a corner to see Loki conversing with a guard. He told him something very sternly then turned on his heel and left.

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"Let me get this straight, you want to make your own Bifrost to travel to Asgard on a potentially one way mission to retrieve a girl we didn't even know that long? Tony how are you even going to begin to make this thing" Steve complained.

"Calm down Capsicle we're not selling them by the bundle at 'smiths toys superstores', it can get us there and we can use their Bifrost to get back mkay? And she's not just a girl. In Loki's hands she's a weapon which unfortunately concerns us." Tony returned

"And she was my friend." Wanda spoke quietly,
"I thought the avengers were meant to protect the people of earth"

"Yeah well right now we don't even know if she's that." Steve sighed, "look, I liked her too she was a good asset but are we really sure we want to risk every team members life over this? Are we sure we want her back? You saw her powers, she can't control them."

"Exactly. She needs us. And that's all she was to you? An asset? Steve we can stay if we want but she's probably in a cage somewhere being fed barely anything- I mean who knows what kind of torture Loki has her under?"

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"Okay just try it!" Aria laughed,

"In no world is this going to go well" Loki retorted as he moved back slightly

"Okay you ready?" She said, barely containing her laughter as she lifted the hazelnut, before he could say anything she threw it high in the air.
Loki missed it - of course - and the hazelnut landed hard on his forehead.

"You're going to pay for that" Loki said dead seriously

"Don't give me the Kubrick stare your majesty it's not my fault I have natural talent for this" Aria returned, throwing another nut high in the air and catching it with ease in her mouth.

Loki did not look amused.

Later that day Aria turned the familiar corner to enter the palace library but stopped just behind the wall as she saw the guard from earlier escorting a tall, beautiful woman into the room. She followed them silently as they turned sharply and walked quickly along a narrow aisle of books.
They turned one of them and the wall at the end appeared to open to reveal steps travelling downwards.

Aria advanced but it was too late, the wall closed back up. But she wouldn't accept defeat that's easily.

She ended up waiting almost an hour reading what seemed to be a far more depressing version of Wuthering Heights - if that was possible - when the wall at the end of the narrow aisle opened, the same woman ran swiftly by. Her face was rather red and she didn't have the same perfect poise as before.

Aria didn't have to wait long to see Loki leave the room some time later.

She felt an angered pang of jealousy and left the library before Loki could even see her.

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Of course she couldn't say anything of the matter, let alone her feelings about it.
She was more angry at herself.
Sure she woke up in his bed with his arms around her that one time but that was a complete accident. She had ran from his room before he had even woke up in fact. And they had become friends on Asgard sure, but friends was all they were and it would do her no good to keep contemplating this right?