Chapter Four:

He should have known, the present years of peace shouldn't have made him to linger around in s majestic bliss, to lie down and dream among the colourful butterflies in his mother's gardens.

But then, it wasn't' a surprise to hear that Thanos would do anything to please Death herself, he would hunt across the abyss, to the corners of the universe, even in the pit of black holes to search for that one planet that he would reign, only to present it to the lady of Death as his symbol of love.

"I heard from our royal spies scattered across different realms that Thanos is in search of a certain blue planet", Thor had said, his eyes bearing the heavy burden, his shoulders drooped as if they were tired from all the lifting of Mjolnir.

"That doesn't necessarily mean that he is in search of Earth" Vision said, causing a much needed ripple of calmness in the ether, giving sprouts of hope and light to settle the sudden looming darkness in the room.

Loki did know. He knew that the universe had so many blue planets, the shades of blue weren't something that is so rare in the realms, but then to be honest, he also knew for a fact that there isn't any world as majestic and mesmerizing as the Midgard itself. The world itself may head caused him a lot of troubles, but he knew that the azure planet is the one that shaped in. sculptured and filled the little crevices in his heart with warmness and a bit of love.

He could see the distress in the faces of his so called friends, a dread of worry licked the eyes of the beautiful woman, the one he had embarrassingly grown fond off in a matter of handful minutes.

"Worry not fellow warriors, the source isn't an authenticated one. I would have known if such a search is made across the realms." Loki said, hoping to dear Odin that his voice had enough demeanor to control the pungent worry that was bleeding in the room.

It indeed brought a moment of peace in the abode and so Loki ignored the puzzled look from Thor. He craved for a private talk with his blonde brother, just to stand in tiptoes, to give a smack on his brother's head for being too oblivious about the human race.

Such a blatant truth would only cause rivers of chaos and at times, Loki wondered as to how the Allfather was a bit too sure that Thor would make a great ruler.

"Wow, is it just me or one of the most amazing re-unions just turned in to the most awkward one?" Tony chuckled and the Captain gave an annoyed head shake at the inventor. A ribbon of fondness blurred Roger's face as he saw the smirk in the inventor's face. The moments like these were the ones that made him realise how truly blessed he was, to have a friend who would always have his back, even though there are rifts that keep them apart, even though there are differences in the opinions they harbor, even though they fight tooth and nail, even though the bleed under each other's mistake, these are the moments that erase all those pains.

A sense of lightness entered and it was all like a feather that floats in the warm summer breeze. And then the moment was effectively ruined.

"So, I heard that the man of Iron and the righteous man had a fit. Who won?" Thor asked, beaming like a gallon of sunshine.

~.~.~.~

"You shouldn't have" Thor whined like a wounded puppy when they were walking downstairs to have a snack.

"What do you possibly expect me to do, Thor?" Loki huffed.

It had taken every ounce of Loki's practice patience to not conjure a magic that would turn Thor in to a golden retriever. Instead he had rolled his eyes and smacked his brother's head.

"I didn't know that it was such a sensitive topic. And, how is it that you question the credibility of the news that I carry?" Thor asked again.

"Brother, at times like this you do test my nerves. The humans deserve some kind of peace. It would go really unwell if we were to waltz in and announce a looming possible monstrous reign over them." Loki whispered.

"That does make sense, little brother. But then, hiding such kind of a truth would only yield a maddening chaos in the end"

"I am well aware of the consequences. Let us stay behind for a few more days, make them understand the workings of Thanos and study the strategies of various armies that would possibly join forces with him" Loki said, his voice reduced to a tone of hush. He still doesn't believe in the inventor, the man had abilities to listen to their conversation from the formless voice that hangs around somewhere in the air, above their heads.

"That does make sense Loki. I am happy to see you bestowing your concern on them." Thor said, with a bit of glint edging in the corners of his cerulean eyes.

"Oh, nonsense. I enjoy a challenge. You do know that brother" He said, brushing of the hint of tease nestled in his brother's voice. Honestly, Loki never knew that his brother could find out all those subtle differences that stay well hidden within him.

"I do know brother. I also do know about your fondness for brunettes" He said and smirked, causing Loki to choke and turn red.

"He does?" Tony came in from nowhere, apparently, the migardians spend their nights listening to the meaningless conversations and invest their time to learn the affairs of Loki's private life.

"I do not" He defended, a pitiful attempt to regain his pride, because, well, he is God.

So.

End of discussion.

"Oh, so Thor, do you think he likes Wanda?" the billionaire asked, his face drenched in a bucket of smugness.

And he knew that this was all Karma sneaking up behind his back to pull his leg and there was Odin and Heimdall laughing somewhere at the specks of pink that coloured his cheek, but he did all the prayings in his heart, hoping that his brother would defend his honour.

"You mean the one with the long hair and scarlet attire? I do think so, my friend. The way my brother's eyes sparkle like a freshly lawned grass when she is near, I do think he is well smitten. I can't wait to tell mother about this. She would be thrilled" Thor went on, his face radiant like a sun, like the floors of Asgard and all Loki wanted to do was to punch him right on his nose.

~.~.~

As the night swept in, the hall of their abode harboured thoughts of troubled ones. This, Loki understood well enough. The worry in the air was a bit too thick that night, and even the moon in its all glory failed to lull the troubled souls in to her lap of dreams.

What he didn't expect was the lady in black with fire as her mane, to sulk in the shadows of dark.

"Leave me be, Loki" She whispered, a cry to be left alone was something he is well experienced with, but would never recommend to a heavy heart that searches for at least an ounce of warmth.

"Huh, what even makes you think that I would be reduced so low to even keep you a company, mortal" He spits out. Not that he hates the woman, but his brain does spew the words of ice when his heart starts to melt a bit. An inbuilt self-defense, a mechanism that he keeps well in place to make sure that he isn't reduced to an emotional fool, like his brother.

"Nice" She said and moved.

"The green one.."

"What about him" Natasha turned, a small hope flickered in her eyes and the prince of Asgard would have toyed with the emotions that were being spilled, but then, he has changed now and so he sighed.

"He is headed towards the forest in the what you Migardians call as Africa" Loki whispered, a bit shocked at his own tenderness. It's not often that one could expect the God of mischief to let down his guard, open his heart, and show a side of his that only very few handful of people had witnessed in the centuries before.

The strong warrior had a moment, with flames of hope igniting in her heart. Loki could even feel the presence of light swirling in her soul when he closed his eyes.

Okay. So, that happened and it was a bit out of character for him to help a damsel in distress. He was just plainly happy that there was no one else to see him play a role of cupid in the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Only, Odin had other plans.

Of course.

When had he and the God of all had seen eye to eye? The fate loves to make him squirm and the time has his own laugh with maybe a drink in its hand to watch the once evil god to feel suffocated.

A minute ago, Natasha had given him a smile and returned to her office, (to organize a search party for the green guy, of course) and he almost bit his tongue when he saw a flash of red vapours dancing in the corner,

And he was a little late in conjuring his head gear.

"That was nice" She said, a smile playing coy in her lips, her lashes smudged over her cheeks and the lights that hung around had enough audacity to cast a glowy kiss in the little dimple that bloomed across her jaws.

"When will you learn that it is a punishable offence to peek in to the heads of royal blood?" He asked, firmly ignoring the tiny flutter of butterflies in the ring of his navel.

"When you cast a spell of punishment on me" She whispered, the light in her eyes danced, and his brain oozed out all those words of poetry that lay buried in the golden library of Asgard. Those little lines that littered in her lips, he wanted to collect them all and treasure, to immortalize her smile, only to release them to the world when it is short of sunshine and moonlight.

The smile she had, it made him to kneel down and kiss her feet, to tear open his vein and spill all those red in to the pages as a fine song for her.

He did the next best thing though, he opened his palm, a wisp of green ribbons criss crossed with a smoke, only to reveal a green petaled rose with its tip kissed red.

She took them, her fingers caressed the edges, the petals shimmered in her palm, a streak of blush bathed her cheek and it took everything in him to not trace those delicious trial it left behind. And in that moment, he knew that he would fight even the goddess of death, he would duel Thanos hand in hand, reign over the universe and guard the little blue plant to keep this red angel alive for the years to come.

~.~.~

A/N: It's been over a year and I apologise for it. Leave your thoughts behind. Thanks : )