IMAGINES: LOKI x READER

Winter in Midgard

Loki trudged through the snow-covered streets of wintery Midgard, his eyes darting around with wary curiosity. The sky was overcast, and tiny snowflakes swirled in the air, settling on his dark hair and broad shoulders. The sidewalks were coated in a slick layer of ice, cars parked along the roads were buried under snowdrifts, houses shimmered with colorful strings of lights, and passersby were bundled up in thick scarves and deep hoods, with only their eyes visible. He had heard tales of Midgard's winters but had never witnessed one himself. The frosty air stung his cheeks and nose, snow crunched under his boots, and each breath was a challenge as warm air condensed into frost on his long lashes.

Winter in Midgard surprised him. Everything—the bare trees, the towering snowbanks, the white flakes drifting from the sky—was new to him. Such winters didn't exist in Asgard. As he resolutely strode forward, taking in the snowy streets, Loki was unaware of how treacherous Earth's winters could be. One step, then another—his foot suddenly slid on the icy sidewalk, and before he could process what was happening, his balance gave way. In an instant, he felt the ground disappear beneath him, and the next moment, he was lying on his back. The dull thud knocked the air from his lungs, making him squeeze his eyes shut in pain.

"Ugh!" he groaned as he opened his eyes.

The first thing Loki saw was the face of a young woman leaning over him. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, her bright blue eyes sparkled, freckles dusted her nose, and she wore a vibrant green knitted hat with a playful pom-pom. Snowflakes swirled around them, cars crawled along snowy tracks in the background, and a few bullfinches chirped nearby.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?" Her voice was so warm it could melt the winter.

Loki stared at her, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. He no longer felt the cold or the pain from his fall. His heart skipped a beat, then froze entirely for a second. He couldn't speak—he just knew. It was her. His soulmate.

It was like one of those old Midgardian jokes: "You slip, you fall—you wake up in a cast." Except, instead of a cast, there was a soulmate.

"Uh... Can you hear me?" she asked, frowning slightly, her gaze flitting over his face with concern.

Loki blinked, struggling to find his voice. He nodded and slowly sat up. The woman steadied him with her hands on his shoulders, helping him into a sitting position.

"You..." he finally muttered. "You're here..."

She smiled, a little shyly, and soft crinkles appeared at the corners of her blue eyes.

"Yes, of course, I'm here. Are you sure you didn't hurt yourself?" she asked again, her hands still gently supporting his shoulders.

Without thinking, Loki reached out and took her hand.

"Now I'm sure," he said, rising to his feet slowly.

Her bright, firelit eyes gazed at him with such warmth that ignoring it was impossible. In that moment, Loki realized something profound: winter in Midgard was now his favorite season.