Chapter 22
"Yup, Thor got banished for a while." Loki and Sif were stretched out on the grass in the rooftop garden again, soaking up the sun while Thor and the Warriors Three attempted some harebrained scheme to impress some maiden or other. "He started a war with Jotunheim because what was supposed to be his coronation got ruined."
"Impressive." Loki twisted his head to look at her. "Did he have a shouting match with Father in the bifrost room? I have the vague image in my head of them standing in the bifrost room yelling at each other for being fools but it lacks context."
Sif rolled over to face him. "Possibly. Hogun and Volstagg and I were a little preoccupied with getting Fandral to the healer, but they did both seem a bit agitated."
"Probably more than a bit if he started a war."
"Well he did get banished for it. The rest of us weren't punished since we were following a direct order from a superior, but I suspect you would have gotten in trouble too had you not been the one to tattle on us."
He rolled his eyes at her choice of words. "And I bet I saved all our hides, too, knowing Thor's planning skills."
"You did." She admitted. They lay there on the grass a while in content silence until Sif got an idea. "Hey Loki, can I play with your hair?"
He eyed her suspiciously. "…Are you about to exact some sort of sadistic revenge for pranks long past?"
She grinned. "Only one way to find out." He raised an eyebrow at her. She raised one right back.
"Oh fine." He rolled over on his stomach and propped his chin on his arms. "Go ahead then." She sat up and ran her fingers through his hair. "Oh. Ahhhh, wow. Mmmmmm. You can do that all you want."
**
"Very pretty." Loki vanished the mirror he had conjured. "I must commend your handiwork."
"Admit it, you like having your hair played with."
He gave her his best are-you-crazy look. "I never denied it. It's an enjoyable sensation."
"You were practically purring."
"…and?" His playful expression dared her to elaborate on the purring thread and drew a hint of color to her cheeks.
She got up hurriedly and offered her hand to help him up. "And it appears to be suppertime now."
He levered himself onto the nearby bench and then to his feet, somehow managing to make leaning on a cane with flowers in his hair look elegant. "Well then milady, would you do me the honor of walking with me to the great hall?"
Warrior or not, Sif couldn't help giggling. "Are you really going to go to supper with your hair full of bright pink flowers?"
"Well whyever not?" His expression was all wide-eyed innocence, "They all think I'm crazy anyway, might as well give them something to stare at." She rolled her eyes, grinning.
"Too cute to be crazy." It popped out before she realized that she was thinking it.
He turned bright red. "You… you think I'm cute?"
Now she was blushing crimson as well. "I, well, that is, I just meant…" He hobbled forward a step, closing the gap between them, and silenced her stammering with a kiss.