The Trip To Asgard
Waking up to his own screams wasn’t anything new to Loki. Waking up from a nightmare about the sad eyes of his new friend staring at him before her death, was. And waking up to the person he dreamed of leaning over him and calling his name with worry and compassion in her voice, was even more atypical.
He gasped as he awoke fully, desperately trying to catch a breath despite his throat being almost closed and his heart beating in his chest like it was at least trying to get out of it. Fortunately, he didn’t make the same mistake he did the other time he woke up in Zozo’s childhood room, the room she offered him on the first night they met, and didn’t try to sit up. Now, he laid there, eyes wide open, staring at the girl leaning over the wooden barriers of the top bunk to make sure he was alright.
“You okay, Lokes?” She asked, her long brown hair forming a curtain from the early morning sun. She should wear it down more often, Loki decided, as he stared at her worried face with contemplation, trying to calm himself.
“No.” He finally answered, surprisingly truthfully. He wouldn’t gain anything by lying to her, so why should he? It was too early in the morning for playing games.
The night before, he held her tightly in his arms for hours, and once the time came and he could think clearly once more, instead of being overcome by the urge to protect her no matter what from every possible danger in the world, he took it upon himself to find her the most comfortable resting place possible. He was the one who drew her a bath, then waited by the door as she bathed, checking on her every now and then by calling her name. He was the one who put on a film called “Shrek”, and then “Shrek 2”, and indulged in conversations about which one of them is the most like Shrek and why Shrek is hot. He guided her upstairs, into the master bedroom, only to have her cling to him and watch her make her way to the top bunk of the bed Loki planned to take, mumbling something about trust and loneliness and knowing he won’t hurt her anyways. He was the one who laid there, listening to her breathe, smirking to himself because just a few days ago, he thought no one could love him. It was nice to be proven wrong.
And now, he was freely admitting to his feelings. Something he also never thought he would do.
Zozo’s reaction was quick, and just what he needed. Without saying anything, she threw her pillow at his face, followed by her blanket, and finally herself, pressing her body into Loki’s and allowing him to surround himself in her smell and the feeling of safety.
“I will never let you go.” He warned sleepily into her hair, trying hard to make the threat actually sound threatening. “You have a rather questionable taste in people. I have to make sure they all know I’ll kill them if they hurt you.”
He felt Zozo chuckle against him.
“You’re kinda my most questionable person at this moment, my guy. All my friends love me unconditionally.”
“Good.” Loki said, satisfied with her answer, and nuzzled his face into her brown curls. “Let it stay that way.”
This time, when sleep consumed him, he wasn’t plagued by nightmares. A peaceful, dreamless slumber greeted him, and when he woke a couple of hours later, his mind was seemingly clearer than ever. Odin had once taught him the effects of a blood oath, that it goes beyond seiðr and causes changes to the very structure of one’s being, tying two souls together in the most permanent way. Of course, Loki had always thought it was nothing but useless tales. No one could ever change the way he was, he was sure of that. But the way he wished to protect this girl, how he reacted to seeing the death of her variant, how badly he wanted to keep her close and safe… it was something he never experienced before. A type of magic that truly went beyond what he knew.
Or maybe blood oaths had a different effect on Jotnar. Maybe having her blood in his system triggered a hormone release or neurological changes, and that would be the true reason he did not wish to leave her alone. Plus, she was still just an irresponsible teen, doing risky things. It would be much safer to have a god on her side.
That was when Loki remembered something- a little promise Zozo had made him the day before, one that got overshadowed by the latter part of it. A promise he was very much looking forward to. Without much further thought, he left the bed, letting Zozo sleep for a bit more as he indulged in preparations.
Not for long, though, as some time later the very sleepy human wandered into the master bedroom, where Loki was preparing his master plan, and eyed him suspiciously.
“Why are my mom’s clothes scattered everywhere?” She asked, watching as Loki held up a brown summer dress that reminded him of the color of coffee, a drink he had only been recently introduced to and immediately fell in love with. The length was perfect. Now he just needed to change it a bit, and they would be ready.
“Don’t move.” Loki commanded. “I am trying to see what color suits you.”
“My prom dress was red.” Zozo answered, slightly confused. Loki cringed at that suggestion, and decided to do something else instead.
“No, red won’t do.” He muttered, then snapped his fingers.
The dress transformed before their eyes, growing more layers and the designs becoming more intricate, then finally, it turned into a deep, navy blue.
“It’s perfect.” Loki praised himself, staring at the dress with a deep sense of pride. “The rest you can borrow from me. Now, once I exit this room, I need you to hurry up and change quickly. This will be the most exciting day of your life.”
“Loki, what exactly have you planned?” Zozo asked, also staring at the dress, but with suspicion and even more confusion than before.
The god grinned.
“I’m taking you to Asgard, darling.”
An hour later, they were standing in the corner of the library of Valaskjalf, on Asgard, adjusting Zozo’s makeup so that her skin wouldn’t stand out too much amongst the gods. Before they left, Loki had assured her that he found the perfect day, when no one would bother them as they caused mischief around the palace, and gave her a stern pep talk about behavior and etiquette if confronted by anyone. When Zozo asked him why he would bring her to Asgard, considering how risky he made it out to be, he answered that she had invited him into her world over the last couple of days, and he simply wanted to return the favor. What Loki didn’t mention was that this idea had been stirring in his head for a while now, and imagining Zozo roaming the halls of his childhood with sparks in those curious eyes of hers, brought him immense joy.
Also, dressing up a mortal to look like a goddess would be a challenge, and Loki felt as if it is one he’d like to take part in. And what a marvelous job he did, if he saw her running down the halls without knowing who she was in the first place, he never would have guessed her to be mortal. She looked beautiful in the dress, almost regal. And he was right, the cape and corset really did suit her. It was as if she was born to wear Asgardian leathers and silks, instead of those boring Midgardian jackets and dirty shoes. He even got creative and transformed Charlie’s leash into something nicer, shinier and more regal-looking, after giving him a collar to match Zozo’s dress. Now, paired with Loki’s favorite set of leathers, they looked truly like a set of royals.
“This library is so cool.” Zozo said, staring at the rows of books in awe. “And that corner, it looks really cozy. Is that like, your personal reading nook or something? There’s a lot of green in here, that’s why I’m asking.”
There was a lot of green there, and yes, Loki did use that particular corner of the library as a personal reading nook of sorts. It was where he would run away from everyone, and where he would put the books he particularly liked. Of course, at the point it time he transported them to, he didn’t feel the need to do that yet, and instead he would torture himself at feasts and other boring events to try to fit in. He must have been roughly Zozo’s age then, he realized, as he looked towards the girl. Nineteen human years would be a very young adult. A validation-seeking, unnecessarily angsty, angry young adult, he realized, as he thought back to those days. Pity Zozo couldn’t meet him, because Loki had a feeling that they would get along just swell, and maybe a friend would do that lost, young soul well. Or they’d immediately jump at each other’s throats. Either way, it didn’t matter, as they met now, and their day would be good and filled with small mischief and pranks, to erase the sadness from the one before.
Or so he thought, as they explored the halls of Valaskjalf, ready to head to the gardens for their first prank of the day. Perhaps if Zozo wasn’t so painfully slow, exploring every detail of the walls and ceiling and floor with sparkling eyes and the soaring heart of an artist, they would have actually made it there without any complications. Perhaps if Loki hadn’t grown out of practice when it came to working as a team while trying to go unnoticed, he would have grabbed her and Charlie and hid them behind the column with him the moment he heard the footsteps. Perhaps if he hadn’t forgotten the details of that specific day hundreds of years ago, he would have remembered the anxiety and need for fresh herbal tea, made from Frigga’s beloved herbs growing at the north end of the garden. Perhaps if he had been more careful, this extraordinary, mischievous day he had planned, wouldn’t have become what it has.
Regardless, the moment Loki heard footsteps, his instincts kicked in, and he accidentally left Zozo all alone, to fend for herself in the most stupid way imaginable, because of course, the person he chose to do the blood pact with had zero self preservation instinct.
“I beg your pardon-“
“Then beg.”
It took Zozo less than half a second to realize the mistake she had made. Loki, hidden behind the damned column, was having a mild heart attack at the thought of having to fight that innocent looking past version of himself, standing there in utter shock. His face still had slight remnants of baby fat, his hair was shorter, and he was overall a lot skinnier. That variant was basically still a kid, and yet Loki was fully prepared to throw a punch or two in defense of his idiot friend, who’s face went red with embarrassment, and her eyes shone in legitimate fear. At least she was aware of the mistake she made.
“I... am so sorry, your majesty, I did not realize who I was talking to, please forgive me, I didn’t mean to-“
The other Loki laughed. Much to the surprise of everyone else involved.
“Stop. You intrigue me. Not many people would have the courage to talk to me like this.” He stepped closer to the girl, who still seemed scared, but now also curious. “How come I’ve never seen you before?”
“Well given my height, I’d assume I’m relatively easy to spot.” She blurted out, then cleared her throat, “But, uh, I don’t really go out much, so maybe that’s why?”
This was the worst lie Loki had ever heard, and he genuinely felt sorry for his variant for having to hear it as well.
“I am pretty sure I would have noticed you.” The god said, moving closer. He slowly moved his hand up to the girl’s face, and stroked her flushed cheek. “You do have a rather... fair complexion, and decent bone structure.”
“Why thank you, you’re not so bad on the eyes yourself.” Zozo answered with a playful smile, still scared enough not to look the prince in the eyes. Behind the column, the Loki she came with was nearly dying of secondhand embarrassment. This was not what he imagined this meeting would look like, and he did not expect his younger version to be even in the slightest bit infatuated with this strange woman, especially given her foul mouth. Though in retrospect, it did make sense that a break from the overwhelmingly prissy and sweet population of Asgard would be of interest to him. Goddammit, he should have thought this through and selected a time when he knew for sure the variant would be busy.
The younger Loki smiled, and pressed a kiss on the girl’s hand.
“Well I certainly hope to see more of you around. How does today’s feast sound?”
At this point the older Loki stepped out from behind the column and furiously gestured for the girl to stop the nonsense right now. To hell with accidentally hurting his past selve’s feelings, this was embarrassing enough. Disappointment flashed in Zozo’s eyes as she looked back to the prince holding her hand, smiled sweetly and said,
“Well while it certainly sounds delightful, I’m assuming I’d need an invitation. So you’ll have to spend tonight alone, I’m afraid.” She gently slid her hand away and started walking towards the column her friend was hiding behind. The Loki she left behind let out a chuckle.
“Madam, you wouldn’t need an invitation if you came with me.” He caught up to her, and took her hand again, holding it rather firmly this time. “We shall see each other tonight, at the feast. I’ll come here to collect you when the time comes. Does that... suit you?”
The playful blush disappeared, and her expression hardened. Still, the mischievous shimmer in her eyes remained as she patted his hand lightly.
“It is not in my fashion to be late, prince. You will not need to wait.” She whispered coldly, this time looking into the variant’s eyes, who grinned in response.
“Perfect. I will see you then.” He called out as he turned around and left.
“Wow what a charming dickhead.” Zozo muttered, not paying much attention to her friend furiously running up to her.
“What in the Hel was that!? Why did you flirt with me!?” The more familiar, older Loki hissed, desperately trying to hide his embarrassment behind a wall of anger.
“I dunno, why did YOU flirt with me!? You flirt with me and expect me to just let you win?”
“Flirting isn’t a competition you- argh, nevermind, how could you let me invite you to the goddamn feast!? One wrong move and we’ll both be facing huge consequences, possibly even death, you do understand that, right? We came here for harmless fun, and that feast is quite literally the opposite.”
Zozo rolled her eyes, clearly not caring about how serious the situation was.
“So what, you want me not to go?”
Yes. Loki thought. It would be the best solution, then he could still have a fun day with his friend, without the need to spend time at a stupid, horrendously boring event.
“No,” he decided, “That would be very disrespectful, you already said you’ll go, so you must fulfill the promise. The problem is that I can’t go with you because there’s already a me there, and trying to out-Loki a Loki is not the best plan to have.”
Zozo started at him, unfocused, as if she could only hear half of what he was saying.
“You lost me. Why can’t I just go alone, I’m an adult I can handle myself.”
The god let out a frustrated sigh. She can’t go alone, this was supposed to be their day of fun, and Loki will definitely not sacrifice it for some random party full of drunks.
“As much as I would love seeing you get utterly embarrassed by your lack of knowledge of Asgardian culture, I will not have you possibly risking yourself for a couple of drinks and a minute of flirting with a variant of me. I know how you get after alcohol, and believe me, without me there, this is not an option you would like to endure.”
They stared at each other, as if trying to telepathically brainstorm solutions.
“Mhm, great. So what do we do?” Zozo finally broke the silence. Loki shrugged.
“Maybe I can go undercover. You’ll go as the other me’s guest, and I’ll go as... someone else. Someone who is also on the guest list.”
“Yea that’s a great plan, but we don’t HAVE the guest list. The only people we know will be there for sure are you and...” the girl looked at the god, eyes lit up with joy, who knew immediately what she had in mind, and smiled back at her.
“Will it be possible for you to go as Thor?” She asked, voice lowered to conceal the excitement. Loki smiled widely. Maybe they can kill two grinds with one stone, and have both a day of mischief, and attend a feast.
“Well, it’s not like it’ll be hard, he’s an idiot after all.”
“Mhm, and that smile on your face is definitely not there because you just wanna knock him out, is it?” Zozo questioned, still in a rather joking manner. The god looked at her, a bit puzzled, causing a sigh, “We’ll have to knock him out and hide him, otherwise there will be two Thors at the party, you knew that, right?”
“Well yes, of course I did, it’s just such a violent plan.” He chuckled, “I sure hope I’m not being a bad influence on you, I wouldn’t want to be yelled at by your little friends.”
Zozo smacked his arm and smiled wider,
“My friends will love you when they meet you. They already do, they’re just... very protective of me. You know I’ve been through shit, and you can’t exactly blame them for not being very trusting towards dead gods who I met like, last week,” she went silent for a second, before adding, “Though so far, they seem to be very accepting. A little too much, considering that I’ve gotten multiple of their blessings to hit on you. Don’t let that get into your head though.”
“I suppose it’s a little too late for that.” The god joked with a dramatic grin. “I knew you’d fall for my charms sooner or later.”
“Oh yea, definitely the charms, I am so completely enamored by all of your charms.” Zozo looked around, then cleared her throat. “So how are we gonna trick Thor, mister trickster? Any plans? Ideas?”
Loki stared at her, puzzled, then his entire face lit up like the sun on a cloudless morning, as the gears in his head turned.
“We can do ‘get help’. We’ll modify it, of course, you’ll be the treacherous damsel in distress.” He handed the girl a small sword, “and I will carry on the good part. Now, do you think a frying pan from the kitchen will be enough to knock my brother unconscious?”
“Sure, just one little question.”
“Yes, darling?”
“What the fuck’s get help?”