Authoress Note: I edited a bunch of the first chapter and reposted it. I did not like how I phrased a lot, and there were some glaring errors. I /hopefully/ fixed it all, but please feel free to point out any other mistakes I may have missed.

Work Title: Witch Hunt
Inspired by: Witch Hunt by Megurine Luka
Pairing: Thor x Loki / Thorki
Chapter Title: Blithering Fools will be Blithering Fools.
Chapter Rating: K+
Warnings: A bit of Sif bashing.. I am not fond of her.

.:.:.

Deep emerald eyes stared up at the cloudy grey sky, dried tear tracks clear on his prominent cheekbones; the bound male had been unable to wipe his tears when they had first fallen. He closed his eyes slowly, his long lashes caressing his cheeks as he did, and let his head hang down from his place tied to a massive wooden cross. What was left of his dark locks of ebony hair blocked his expression from the crowd of townspeople chanting for 'penitence.' He did his best to ignore them as he recalled what had become of him.

.:.:.

Eyes passing over all the townspeople's faces as he went through the center of the town, Loki wore his casual smirk, witnessing the girls around him blushing from his gaze alone. He winked at a group of girls who were huddled close together and whispering while looking longingly at the brunet male sauntering through town. The girls let out a not-so-quiet squeal of delight, and Loki ran a hand through his slicked back hair, earning another round of squeals and giggles. When he passed the girls so they could no longer see his face, he dropped his smirk and a look of disgust took over its place. He hated girls who would only obsessed over him and did not bother approaching him on their own.

Loki stopped at his usual vending stall, grinning at the girl behind the wooden countertop. She smirked from her spot on the stool with her feet resting on the counter and her arms behind her head in a lazy pose.

"Ah, Loki, my best customer! Let me guess, you want a new magic scroll?" She closed her eyes and leaned back, stool tipping precariously.

"Hold your tongue, you hag. Must I remind you the townspeople are not fond of 'witches'?" he muttered, though his smile never dropped and even seemed to widen at the word, 'witch'. "But yes, you are not wrong. Give me something that might actually challenge me this time, would you? That last one was quite a bore; I used it in my sleep, hag."

"Tch, do not call me a hag, you witch. You are some hundred years older than me, and yet you still call me a hag," she growls playfully, sitting upright and grabbing a scroll from behind her and handing it to the brunet who glowered. "That'll be twenty-one gold."

"Twenty-one gold!?" Loki exclaimed, glaring at the redhead in front of him who had returned to leaning back in her stool. "Are you making a mockery of me, hag? That's thrice the amount of the last one!"

"Hey, you were the one who said to give you a challenge, did you not? You have to pay for said challenge." As the grumbling male dug out all the gold pieces in his elegant black and green robes, the woman gained a triumphant gleam in her mysterious yellow eyes, murmuring a "thank you, milady" and earning a growl.

"Must you always act as though I am a woman, hag?"

"Until the day you stop calling me a hag." She grinned ear to ear.

Slipping the yellowing scroll into his robes and shaking his head with a tsk, Loki made his way down the path that led out of the town and towards his small home.

Once he was out of the town, there were less and less people. Sparing a glance around him, he found no one in sight. Unable to resist temptation, Loki pulled the elegant looking scroll from his robe, a small, genuine smile on his lips. He had his green eyes set on the beautiful handwriting that was sprawled across the page, so he had not seen the fallen branch that someone had neglected to take care of. Suddenly he was falling, and the scroll was tossed into the air. He ungracefully fell forward, his onyx hair falling over until it entirely covered his face as he practically ate the dirt below him. Loki let out a quiet groan.

"Are you all right, Miss? That was quite the stumble," a deep voice called from next to him. When Loki looked up and pushed clumps of black hair out of the way, he met sapphire eyes with his own emeralds. "Oh, please accept my apology. I did not realize you were a male with your long locks," he apologized. "Would you like to see a healer? You might have hurt something when you fe-"

"Oh, hush, you blithering fool. I am just fine," Loki huffs. "Furthermore, you cannot talk as if you do not have long hair yourself." He gestured to the blond-haired twit in front of him.

The blond male chuckled and reached a hand down to Loki. "Fair enough."

Loki took his hand and used it to assist in standing up. Once he stood, he had full intentions of dropping the idiot's big hand, but the other male had no plans of the same thought. He brought Loki's hand up to his lips, kissing the back of his hand while staring straight into his green orbs. "I am Thor Odinson, prince of Asgard. What is your name? I have not seen you in these parts."

"Loki Laufeyson," he murmured after some hesitation, cheeks feeling oddly warm. "Prince of Mischief."

Thor chuckled once more and finally released the brunet's hand from his own. Surprising Loki so much that he blushed a shade darker, Thor reached up to caress Loki's hair.

"W-what are you-" Loki began but stopped immediately once Thor had pulled away. His eyes looked to the oaf's hand.

"There was a leaf in your hair," he whispered, grinning.

"D-do you expect a thank you, Your Highness?" Loki stuttered, putting his hands on his hips. He realized that Thor had followed his hands and was now looking at his hips. Huffing, Loki crossed his arms with a now furious blush. Thor returned to looking at Loki in the eye, still smiling.

"Can I see you again, Loki?" When his name rolled off Thor's tongue, he was forced to suppress a shiver that ran down his spine, and he could not fathom why.

"Tch, I cannot stop you, Prince Odinson," he said, mockery in his voice, though he did not use the sarcasm wholeheartedly.

"Brilliant. Until we meet again, Loki," Thor murmured, reaching for the other's hand again and bringing it to his lips once more. Loki pouted and turned his head to the side, suddenly stiffening as he saw his scroll a couple dozen feet away near a tree. He wondered why he had not seen it until now.

"I must go now," Loki said hurriedly and pulled his hand from Thor's grip as he dashed to where the scroll lay. Without a single glance backwards, he grabbed the scroll and took off in the way of his home, being extra careful not to trip over any fallen branches this time.

Thor smiled to himself as he watched the hurried, yet cautious, retreat of the black-haired beauty. "Farewell," he murmured to himself with the still present smile. He was very intrigued by the male, and he was not sure why. Maybe it was because the brunet treated him as a person and not as the prince he was. Turning back in the direction he had been heading before encountering the mysterious male, Thor sauntered away, unaware of the watchful eyes that followed him.

.:.:.

A young woman, clad in a dark cloak with the hood concealing her long brown hair and beautiful face, stood peeking around a nearby tree. She had been following the prince to confess to him about her feelings when Thor suddenly darted over to a fallen woman. The cloaked woman, Sif, quickly hid behind the tree that was still in earshot of the conversation that had started. That clumsy woman probably did it for the prince's attention, Sif concluded. The young woman raised her face and gazed up at Thor, clearly memorized by his sky blue eyes. Gasping quietly, she realized the fallen female was actually a male. Sif's long nails bit into the bark of the tree, making crescent shaped dents in it, as she watched the scene unfold before her.

Sif's eyes suddenly noticed a white item near her; a scroll lay at her feet. She picked it up and unraveled it. She squinted her eyes to read the handwriting that rolled across the page in a fancy font. She dropped the scroll quickly and put a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp. It was a magic scroll. Sif could not believe it! There was a witch in the town! She was so shocked she did not know what to do.

It was then that Sif realized the conversation between the two men was dying out. The scroll had rolled a few feet away from the tree towards the other two. She desired to run and grab it, so she could expose whoever the witch was to the town, but she did not want to risk being seen. She glanced at the brunet and blond just as Loki had ripped his hand away from the prince and stormed towards her. She started panicking and had to try to level her breathing out before its ragged pace exposed her. The brunet, much to Sif's surprise, grabbed the scroll, slipped it in his robe and began a half-sprint in the opposite direction of Thor.

'So, he's the witch of the town. Interesting...' Sif thought to herself. She looked over at the prince who had a longing look in his eyes and a smile on his lips. Sif all but growled at the thought of that clumsy male stealing her love from her. She began to think of a plan. 'If I can get some proof that he is a witch, the prince will be mine!'

.:.:.