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meowmeow-motherfucker · 5 months ago

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Covenant- Chapter 15

Summary: With the five year anniversary of the attack on New York approaching, Odin and Fury come to the agreement that an arranged marriage between Asgard and Earth would show good faith toward all future interactions. When Odin refuses Jane’s candidacy, Agent Coulson is tasked with finding a suitable wife for the prince of Asgard.

Pairing: Loki x OFC Claire Fisher

Word count: 12k (prepare drinks and snackies as always)

Chapter warnings: Thor being a good bro, Loki being a jealous turd, arguing that turns into a fist fight, idiots in love, angst, Claire and Loki both being toxic, witchcraft, gummy bear murder

Taglist: @lokisgoodgirl @gigglingtiggerv2 @icytrickster17 @mysteriouslyfriedjellyfish @lokislilkitten @justjoanne242 @amlocked @ddmariegirl @mags-04-blog @sharris8 @meepycheep @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @the-fantasy-loving-angel @jaidenhawke @smolvenger @ladymischief11 @huntress-artemiss

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me! Buckle up gang :D

Read it on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51197938/chapters/129363727

If Ragna’s move into her new quarters upset her master, there was nothing to suggest it. As the days passed, Claire watched each member of the court like a hawk, determined to suss out who deserved her ire. So far no suspects had revealed themselves.

Things with Loki were as pleasant as a pit of vipers.

He kept sending her notes, which she kept feeding into the fire. How could he possibly think notes would fix the problem?

Asshat.

Claire hissed as the needle pricked her yet again, sucking the tip of her finger into her mouth with a curse. She was tired of this class, tired of pricking her fingers, tired of pretending to be someone she wasn’t.

Looking down at the doily in her hands, Claire had to admit she had done a good job. The pattern she’d made with her stitches was almost elegant. She wondered if Frigga would approve, if she would like it.

Passing thoughts of giving it to her as a gift made Claire feel warm. It would be a nice gesture, and it would even more nice to have a good relationship with the only maternal figure she had.

Then Claire remembered Frigga was just another cog in Asgard’s machine, and decided she wouldn’t be giving Frigga gifts any time soon.

~~~~

“Your Majesty?” a guard said softly as he approached the council table to address Loki.

“Yes, what is it?”

“I’ve been sent to fetch you, Your Highness. There’s a problem with Her Majesty the princess royal.”

“Problem?”

“Her instructor insists you come at once.”

“By the Norns,” Loki sighed heavily. “Very well. Father, have you any further need of me?”

“We can finish this session without further input from your office,” Odin replied. “Go tend to your wife.”

“Please excuse me, gentlemen,” he gathered his things and left, following the Einherjar from the council chambers. What has she done now?

Several minutes later he entered the lesson room in which Claire and her instructor were sequestered. He found a roomful of animated young girls talking amongst themselves and an incensed instructor lecturing his wife, who sat alone sulking in the corner.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked loudly, gaining the attention of all the room’s occupants.

“Your Majesty!” the instructor said eagerly. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry you had to be bothered with such a trivial matter.”

“Explain.” Loki demanded impatiently.

“Your wife thought it would be appropriate to embroider profanity on her doily,” The instructor sighed. “Your Highness, I understand your wife needs educating in this area, but this is hardly the sort of example a woman of her stature should be setting for the younger students.” She looked to an unrepentant Claire, and demanded she show Loki her finished doily with an imperious gesture. Rolling her eyes, Claire lifted the offensive doily for Loki to see. Despite his best efforts, a burst of laughter escaped him at the sight of it.

The outer edges of the doily had undoubtedly beautiful needlework, bordered with a dainty chain of roses and clusters of tulips. The lettering in the center, however, did not mesh with the respectable border. Claire had elected to proclaim her distaste for embroidery by stitching the words ‘This is fucking stupid’ in black, bold lettering.

The instructor looked from Claire’s doily to Loki, her face a mask of stoic anger. “You understand my unwillingness to allow her to return.”

“Indeed,” Loki sighed. It was funny, but highly inappropriate. “Come along darling.” He gestured for Claire to exit with him. The instructor crossed her arms over her chest, puffing up with self importance.

“Perhaps Her Majesty can return when she displays the appropriate remorse for her actions.” she suggested.

“Not fucking likely.” Claire scoffed, eliciting gasps from the young girls in the room.

“Claire, that’s enough,” Loki said. “Wait for me in the hall.”

“Why; so you can discuss how to best discipline me like a problem child? No!”

“Claire-”

“You know I’m right!” Claire accused Loki. “You know this is a bullshit skill! What service will learning how to cross-stitch do these girls? They should be learning useful skills like diplomacy, history-”

“These girls are far too fragile for such nonsense,” the instructor interjected. “They are being taught the necessary skills for their lives.”

“And their lives will be what- sitting around waiting for their husband to tell them what to do and think?”

“Yes, and you’d be of far better use to me and everyone else if you’d been raised in such a way.” Claire slapped Loki across the face, and everyone froze in stunned silence.

“Fuck you,” She ripped her arm from Loki’s grasp and turned to leave, stopping short when the Einherjar reached for her. “Back the fuck off unless you wanna get slapped too.” She snarled, making the guard recoil from her as though she’d burned him. Pussy.

Claire slammed the door on her way out, leaving Loki and Miss Priss in her dust. Fuck them. Fuck all of them. She’d show them.

~~~~

It didn’t take long for Claire to find out she could not, in fact, show anyone anything.

The university refused to allow her to study. The headmaster had all but laughed her out of his office.

The Gothi was at least kinder in his rejection.

“You are a wife now, Your Majesty. You have duty enough.” he’d said when Claire told him she felt she had a responsibility to serve the people in some way. I have skills, she’d pleaded. Let me use them.

Every door she tried closed in her face.

~~~~

“Apologies, Your Majesty,” Astrid began, making Loki's heart sink. Claire wasn't coming. Yet again, she was refusing his invitation. “Her Majesty asked that I inform you she is busy.”

“Busy?” He scoffed. “What in Odin's name does she mean, she is busy?” What in Bor’s name could that woman be up to? It has been a week.

“I'm not sure, Your Majesty. Her Majesty simply sent her regrets.” Astrid replied sheepishly. Truthfully, the princess hadn't seemed sorry at all. She'd cackled like a witch when she'd read her husbands letter, but Astrid didn't dare let that be known.

“She cannot keep punishing me like this,” Loki huffed. “What would you suggest I do?”

“Me?” Astrid asked in surprise.

“As you are the only other person in the room...” Loki replied. Astrid fixed him with a glare, to which he shrugged.

“Perhaps a gesture? It need not be grand.”

“A gesture?” Loki raised his brow skeptically. To what purpose? To reward her for acting like a sullen child? He shook his head. “Absolutely not. Let her sulk. We've a state dinner in two days’ time, and we shall both be required to attend. She won't be able to say she is busy.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

~~~~

The following morning, Ragna and Astrid met as usual to gather breakfast for their respective royals.

“What did he say?” Ragna asked eagerly when Astrid joined the throng of servants in the kitchens. It was early morning, and Ragna knew her mistress would have slept fitfully. She had grown to the limits of her cage, Ragna feared, and was beating herself against its bars. While Ragna desired to think of Claire as limitless, she knew very well there was only so much influence any woman could wield without a husband’s assistance. Until the rift between the newly married royals was healed, Claire’s position in the court was dubious at best.

“I suggested a gesture,” Astrid reported. “His Majesty declined.”

“What? Why?”

“’Let her sulk’ were his exact words,” the older woman rolled her eyes. “The stubbornness in that boy, I swear to Odin.”

“Was he simply angry that she refused his invitation yet again?”

“I believe so, but he’s difficult to read at times. I used to know that boy so well,” Astrid sighed, giving a sad shake of her head. “I had such high hopes for them.”

“As did I,” Ragna said sullenly. “Perhaps they did too. Perhaps they just need help!”

“Help?” Astrid scoffed. “You must be very naive to think-”

“You said His Majesty is stubborn. So is Her Majesty. What if they’re both just denying their feelings?” Ragna suggested. “We should make a gesture on His Majesties behalf.”

“What sort of gesture could we hope to make, child?” Ragna folded her lips, unable to give an answer. She glanced around the room, ignoring the older woman’s heavy gaze until an idea popped into her brain.

“I’ll be right back.”

Astrid watched the young woman scurry out of the kitchen, and set about gathering breakfast for the prince and princess. It wouldn’t do for their morning meals to be late just because some girl had a flight of fancy.

She was just putting the finishing touches on the trays when Ragna returned, sweat dotting her brow and cheeks dark pink with exertion.

“Well?”

“Ta da!” Ragna presented a single flower, freshly plucked from the queen’s garden. She understood why the princess was fond of the expression now. It was quite joyful.

“Put that away! What are you thinking?” Astrid hissed, smothering the flower with her palm to hide it from prying eyes. “It is illegal to steal from the queen’s garden!”

“Not for His Majesty, it isn’t,” Ragna placed the flower on the tray just so, fanning out the delicate petals so none were crushed. “There. Do you think she will like it?”

“Why are you so invested in this? Your job is to serve the princess, not ensure her happiness.”

“I owe her my life,” Ragna hissed. “And if I have to risk punishment to make her happy, then so be it. Go be grumpy with your grumpy prince.” she huffed in annoyance, plucking the princess’ tray from the buffet.

“I hope that it works.” Astrid muttered as Ragna disappeared into the corridor.

~~~~

Claire had taken one look at the flower and thrown that into the fire too. She’d then taken her plate into bed and rolled herself into the blankets, her hand snaking out to grab the flaky pastry before it too disappeared into the void.

Ragna had let her sulk while she oversaw the cleaning of the chambers, but at Ragna’s insistence, Claire had allowed herself to be dressed and escorted to the great hall for the midday meal.

As she was halfway through picking at her food, Thor, Sif and the warriors three entered. Though they hailed her, Claire could only muster a wave before returning her focus to her plate. Volstagg attempted to go greet her, but Thor stopped him. Directing his friends toward a table of their own, Thor made his way over to Claire.

“Good afternoon sister,” Thor greeted her softly, taking the seat nearest her. “Does your food offend you?”

“No, I’m just not very hungry.” Claire replied sullenly, not even bothering to look up from her plate.

“I see,” Thor frowned. He’d known Claire was struggling, but clearly he’d misjudged how much. “I saw your needlework,” he remarked with a grin. “It will revolutionize the craft.”

“Oh my god, shut up,” Claire snorted, letting her fork drop with a clatter. At last her blue eyes strayed from the table to meet his. “You should give it to Jane,” Some of the light faded from Thor's eyes and Claire winced. “Sorry.”

“It's fine,” Thor replied. “I will give it to her when next I see her.”

“Sometime soon, hopefully?”

“We shall see,” Thor said with fake enthusiasm. “Claire, I wished to speak with you.”

“Um...okay. What about?”

“My brother, he...” Thor tapped his foot impatiently, his eyes darting to the cobblestone terrace beneath their feet. “He is not treating you as befitting a princess of Asgard.”

“I mean I give as good as I get-”

“I realize, but it pains me to see you treated thus. I thought you and Loki were well suited; everyone did. But now...I can tell you are unhappy, do not deny it-”

“I'm not!” Claire said baldly. “Look...” she paused, fingers drumming as her mind worked. “Your brothers a dick. So what. I mean what other option did I have except to break up you and Jane-”

“Would you be equally unhappy if things were different?”

“I can't answer that,” Claire huffed. “We talked about this, Thor. You're cool and all but it's a moot point,” she argued. “I made my choice and I stand by it.”

“Which Jane and I are grateful for, but it pains me to see you suffer! I would not treat you thus and it is disgraceful that Loki does.”

“What do you want me to say, dude? I’m not your responsibility,” Claire huffed angrily. “You would be miserable if we’d gotten married and you know it. This is a shitty situation any way you flush it.”

“But I would not be cruel,” Thor insisted. “I will have words with my brother.” He said, his tone resolved as he got to his feet.

“Okay, your funeral.” Claire grumbled to herself, resuming her salad stabbing when Thor strode off.

~~~~

“Ah, Thor. How delightful to see you,” Loki rumbled when Thor darkened the doorway of his study. “What do you want?”

“I would have words with you, brother,” Thor said gravely as he stepped inside the austere room. “I come to champion your wife.”

“Oh do you?” Loki asked lowly. “What concerns have you to level at me?”

“You neglect her, and when you don't you mistreat her-”

“She has a full staff, immaculately appointed chambers, stately clothing, as well as all of my wealth and status,” Loki barked, the heavy tome in his hands hitting the desk with a loud thud. “In what way does that constitute neglect?”

“You known what I mean-”

“Do I?” Loki challenged. “Do I abuse her? Beat her?”

“She is wretched, Loki, because you refuse to have anything to do with her!”

“Me?!” Loki scoffed. “She has ignored all my missives for days-”

“Because you ignored her first!” Thor insisted. “All of Asgard knows how childish you both can be, but Odin's beard, Loki. I would never have treated her this way-”

“Oh NOW we come to the crux of the issue,” Loki laughed darkly. “You refused her hand, Thor. You have no say in what befalls her now.”

“I only meant that-”

“YOU THINK THIS TO BE A GAME?!” Loki shouted over him. “You dare speak to me about my wife as if you have ANY right-”

“You dishonor her!” Thor slammed his fist on the desk between them. “You are meant to be her closest companion! Instead she sequesters herself in her chambers, she hasn’t spoken to Mother in days- when is the last time you’ve even laid eyes on her-” Loki reached across the desk and grabbed Thor by the collar, pulling him bodily from his chair.

“You will listen and you will listen well, brother. If you so much as look at my wife again-” Thor faltered, convinced he was seeing things. He could have sworn Loki's eyes changed from green to black, whites flooding red. “I will take your eyes and feed them to you.”

“Loki-”

“Do. You. Understand.”

“I...yes.” Thor relented. Loki released him, all but shoving him back into his chair.

“If that is all, I have work to do.” Loki gestured for Thor to leave, eyes hard as steel as he watched Thor go.

~~~~

“Does this look okay?” Claire asked Loki as she stepped out from behind the folding screen. It was late in the afternoon, and though their guests for the state dinner had already arrived, the couple would not be greeting them until they arrived at dinner. This was Claire’s first time attending such a formal event and she wanted to make sure she looked presentable before they made their entrance.

She wore a floor length halter-necked gown in a dusty shade of lilac with golden thread along the hems and bust, and two ropes of the thread dangling from the belt. Her golden armband was already in place on her bicep and her hair was braided, the same way Loki had braided her hair on their wedding day (Frigga’s idea). Her hair had grown since she’d arrived, the curled ends now brushing mid-way down her bare back.

Everyone in the palace was under strict instructions to make no mention of the tense relationship between the prince and princess royal- which had led to Claire, her staff, vanity and gown being brought to Loki’s chambers to get ready. Being shoved into shared space had both of them on edge, like cats with their tails puffed and claws out.

“I suppose.” Loki replied coolly, not even sparing her a glance. Claire clenched her jaw in anger; she was so tired of his attitude.

“Would it help if I painted myself blue? Maybe then you would have an opinion.” She said venomously. Loki’s head snapped up and Claire smirked in satisfaction as his eyes became mottled with rage.

“My opinion, wife,” he sneered. “Is that you are a vindictive little creature that would serve me better in a grave than in my bed.”

“Have you looked at yourself lately?!” Claire hissed back at him. “You’re not exactly in line for the ‘Nicest Person of the Year’ award!”

“At least I do not prod at other people’s insecurities as blatantly as you.”

“Oh please,” Claire scoffed. “You do that to me every fucking day, Loki. You know how to hurt me and I know how to hurt you and we are just fucking perfect for each other!” She yelled.

“Like Hel we are,” Loki growled. “Mark my words, little wife. If I could get away with it I’d wring your neck myself!” He snarled viciously, his hands bunching the fabric of her collar.

“I want to stab you in the face.” Claire seethed, shoving against him angrily. Loki had the gall to laugh at her.

“Oh, I could do infinitely more damage to you than you could to me.”

Oh can you? Claire punched Loki in the face, hard. His head shot back and he staggered back a few feet. He glared at her in anger and surprise, his bottom lip split and bloody, and he scoffed when she smirked. In an instant they were exchanging blows. Loki immediately gained the upper hand, seeing as he was stronger, but Claire managed to kick his feet out from under him. They toppled to the floor, each of them grappling for control, grunting and snarling like animals as Astrid raced to the door.

Fabric ripped as Loki shoved Claire off of him and she hit the floor, her breath whooshing out of her painfully. Angrily she swung at him, a quick jut of her knee catching him in the chin when he blocked her arms. Loki growled, pinning her beneath his weight as he moved to crush her windpipe. Claire wrapped her legs around his arm, feet braced against his chest as she pushed against his hold. Black dots clouded her vision as she clawed at his face, and she was never more grateful for having manicured nails than when she cut across his cheek bone. His hold slackened, his weight shifting as he shielded his face in the crook of his arm.

The doors to the room flew open with a loud clang as Odin and Thor strode angrily into the room. Claire’s knee struck Loki between the legs, and he released her in huff of pain, collapsing on top of her.

“Stop!” Odin thundered as Thor pulled Loki off of Claire by his collar. Claire rolled to the side, coughing and wheezing as she cradled her throat.

“Are you alright?” Thor asked, pulling her to her feet.

“Awesome,” Claire croaked, flashing a weak thumb’s up.

“It seems we arrived just in time,” Thor shot Loki a heated look. “What were you thinking?!”

“We will not discuss this here,” Odin barked. “To the council chambers, all of you!”

“Great, another pow-wow.” Claire hissed as Thor herded her and Loki out into the hallway.

~~~~

The ‘pow-wow’ was a full on family meeting with Thor, Frigga, Odin, Loki on one side of the table and Phil, Maria Hill and Director Fury on the other. Claire had been seated awkwardly in the middle between Frigga and Phil, both of whom were fussing over her blooming bruises and the state of her dress.

“Now then, let us discuss this calmly.” Odin sighed from his side of the table, glaring pointedly at Loki.

“Why do you assume that I started the fight?” Loki spat. “Go on; ask the little wench who struck first.”

“Loki!” Frigga chided her youngest son. “That is no way to speak about your wife.”

“You’re just mad that I caught you off guard!” Claire hissed at him.

“Silence; both of you!” Odin shouted. “Is this true?” he asked Claire.

“Yes.” Claire sighed.

“Claire…” Phil groaned beside her. “Why-”

“He threatened to wring my neck!” Claire shouted.

“She threatened to stab me in the face.” Loki shrugged when everyone glared at him.

“You started it you psychopath; all I did was ask your opinion!” Claire’s chair fell to the floor as she sprung to her feet.

“Sit down and shut up Agent Fisher,” Fury finally spoke. “Loki, will you explain what the hell happened-I will get to you in a minute! I asked him.” Fury silenced Claire when she made to protest.

“She asked my opinion of her current attire. We have important guests coming this evening and she wished to make a good impression.”

“And then what?” Fury looked over to Claire.

“He was very rude and condescending. I…may have suggested that he would have a more amicable opinion if I were blue.”

“Ah, but that’s not what started it,” Loki shook his head, leveling his gaze on Claire. “Tell them what you said next.”

“That we’re perfect for each other because we know exactly how to hurt each other.” Loki threw up his hands in victory.

“My wife, the shrew.”

“Piss off, runt!”

“Enough!” Odin silenced them. “This is what prompted you to hit Loki?”

“That’s when he offered to strangle me,” Claire replied. “I offered to rearrange his face, then he said he could do more damage to me.”

“Then she hit me.”

“You deserved it.” Loki smirked at Claire’s words.

“Is this funny to you?” Phil glared at Loki. “Look at her neck! You could have killed her.”

“Yes, I very well could have. But thank Odin, I was interrupted.”

“Clearly this animosity is not resolving itself as I had hoped,” Odin said sternly. “I have no choice but to separate the two of you, after our guests have gone home. I will conceal your injuries while our guests remain but you will wear them with pride until they have healed. Pride is what caused this quarrel so it is only fitting for the punishment. Is this sufficient or have you any suggestions?” he peered over at Fury.

“What about recidivism?” Fury asked. “How do we ensure this doesn’t happen again?”

“If it does, Loki will face my wrath. I will be adding some wounds of my own.”

“Surely Claire will have a consequence as well.” Loki muttered.

“I cannot threaten her as I threaten you-”

“He has a point though,” Claire said. “Maybe…that’s what we need.”

“You would not withstand it,” Loki spat. “Do not agree with me simply to save face.”

“I’m not! We obviously need a buffer.”

“Very well, I will select a resident of the palace to act as said buffer until you are capable of acting like adults. Thor will stand in for the time being.” Odin decreed.

“What of Claire’s consequence?” Phil asked.

“I have already sent a son to the dungeons. I am not above sending a daughter if need be.” Loki looked at Odin in surprise, frowning as he slumped in his chair.

“Is this agreeable to you?” Fury asked Claire, who nodded lamely.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. would like to send a representative to meet with our love birds,” Fury said, glancing to Claire and Loki who were making threatening gestures to each other across the table. He cleared his throat loudly, and both parties looked at him guiltily. “Someone to help them...act like adults.”

“When can we expect your representative?” Frigga asked politely.

“He will need to be briefed, but we can send him within the next few days.”

“Wonderful,” Frigga smiled. “We will have chambers made ready for him. Now we must be getting ready for our guests to arrive. Will you be returning to Midgard or would you prefer to stay?”

“I would like to stay, if that’s alright.” Phil said.

“Fine by me.” Fury replied.

“Very well, we will have chambers prepared for you as well. You may act as a second buffer this evening,” Odin nodded. “Thor, please escort our guest and your charges to their respective chambers.”

“Yes Father.”

~~~~

The great hall was packed with nobles from near and far. Music floated on the air, overlapping conversations making the room buzz as wine and mead flowed like water.

Dinner had been boring, the nobles all tripping over themselves to toast Odin and the royal family and blah blah blah. Even though Phil sat at the table with her and Loki like a babysitter, Claire was glad that at least the food had been good.

Now they were at the “mingling” part of the evening and Claire was just counting the minutes until she could disappear. Frigga had been very clear that even though she and Loki had just tried to kill each other, appearances were still to be kept and they were expected to stay until a certain point in the evening. Many of the nobles in attendance had been at their wedding, but some had not, and they were expected to play the part of newlyweds until their guests left.

She and Loki had done their best so far, and their best was simply pretending the other didn’t exist.

“I’ve always hated events like these,” the woman sighed as she approached Claire. Her eyes were glassy and her breath reeked of wine, and Claire did her best not to show her displeasure on her face. She’d hoped to hide away in the corner until she could slink away and nurse her wounds in private, but instead she plastered a fake smile on her face as the woman continued to complain about the accommodations. “-linen is scratchy and the staff!”

“I have wonderful staff.” Claire replied pleasantly, sipping at her wine. Rich people complain about the weirdest shit.

“They should teach mine how to treat their betters,” the woman replied, one hand fussing with the deep orange of her gown. “Perhaps I could borrow them?”

“They’re people, not books,” Claire wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Things could be worse. You could be doing it yourself.”

“My husband would love that,” the woman chortled, casting a derisive look across the great hall. “Gods, I can’t stand that man. If we had a second home, I would take up residence there.”

“You don’t like each other?”

“We were an arranged match. We wed not long after the king and queen. Our children are grown and duty is fulfilled, but that is all we’ve ever been to each other.”

“That’s...really sad.”

“That is the cost of privilege,” the woman finished her drink, snapping her fingers at a passing servant for a refill. “Don’t be surprised if the same happens to your own marriage.”

“Lovely to meet you.” Claire murmured, leaving the drunk woman to her fresh glass of wine. Determined to shake off the woman’s warning, she passed through the crowd, exchanging false smiles so sweet they made her jaw ache. After several minutes, her eyes landed on Loki's familiar form, and she wove through the crowded room toward him. Loki was deep in conversation with an older man as she approached, giving her a slight smile as she tethered herself to him with an arm around his.

“-wouldn't believe the nerve of these people. They’re rioting in the streets like animals,” the man bemoaned, wine spilling on the deep orange sash he wore as he gestured wildly. Claire’s eyes narrowed as the stain bloomed like blood from a wound. “Everything we've done for them and they have the gall to demand more.”

“Have you considered giving them what they want?” Claire asked.

“I beg your pardon?” the man asked, looking at Loki with derision. “You allow your wife to speak to men so boldly?” Loki’s jaw flexed angrily.

“I-”

“You said your people are rioting. They clearly have a need of which you are either ignorant or uncaring and they feel they have no other choice. Perhaps if you listened to them-”

“I must say you are quite eloquent for a Midgardian,” the man interrupted Claire, completely ignoring her. “I've always thought them to be rather dull.” He added to Loki, as though speaking about a cow instead of a person.

“I can read and write too, if you can believe it,” Claire sneered. “God, you're condescending. It's no wonder your wife can't stand you.” Loki laughed nervously, his hand closing tightly around her elbow just before she could dart out of reach.

“Excuse us, please. Sorry.”

“Don't apologize to that pompous twat!”

“Stop talking,” Loki hissed as he steered her away. “You can't say things like that-”

“The hell I can't!” Claire ripped her arm from his grasp as they neared the small stage the musicians occupied. “I'm not going to let some dickhead talk down to me. I'm not an idiot-”

“I know you're not-”

“How would you know?!” Claire laughed. “Knowing someone requires spending time with them, not pretending they don't exist.”

“I don't-”

“The hell you don't. I get it, you have buyer's remorse. Well tough shit, pal, it's too late to send me home now!”

“Come outside,” Loki pleaded softly, obviously trying to placate her. Even though the music was muffling their argument, the people nearest to them were starting to stare. “Please.”

“I'm not going anywhere with you.”

“You are causing a scene.”

“And you are hurting me,” Claire ripped her hand out of his grasp. “Leave me alone.”

“This stops now, do you understand?” Loki hissed under his breath. “You are acting like a spoiled child!”

“I know you are, but what am I?” Claire started giggling as his jaw clenched. “Ooo you are mad. What are you gonna do, huh? Ignore me some more? Or send me another single flower? Oooo or maybe you’d like to choke me more! That'll show me!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I got your dumb flower on my breakfast tray. You think that's all it's gonna take to win me over, after the way you've treated me? Baby, you're gonna have to try a LOT harder to saddle this brood mare.” Claire splashed her wine in his face and spun on her heel to leave. The room spun violently and she stumbled. She heard several women gasp as strong hands grabbed her by the waist, keeping her upright as they steered her out into the hall. “Leave me alone!”

“You shouldn't be on your own-”

“I'm not going anywhere with you!” Claire snarled. “Just leave me alone; you’re great at that.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“I’m talking about the fact that you abandoned me! The second we got back from our honeymoon you dropped me like a hot potato and I have had to navigate all of this-” Claire gestured wildly to the party they’d just left. “-Alone! You promised me I wouldn’t have to; you promised, Loki. You’re meant to keep your promises and the second you had the chance, you broke them.”

“What in the hell is going on out here?!” Phil whisper-shouted as he leaned out of the great hall.

“GO AWAY!” the married couple shouted in unison. Phil slipped out of the great hall, gesturing for the guards flanking the double doors to close them. Claire saw several guests inside trying to spy on them as the doors closed.

“Things changed.”

“What changed?!” Claire shouted, shoving Loki angrily. “You made me feel like you cared about me, like you loved me,” she wiped her face with the back of her hand, cheeks flaming as she sobbed. “I thought we were happy, that we would be okay! Then as soon as we got back to the city you tossed me aside like trash. And I've never understood why. Why; what did I do?! I-” she stopped herself and took a deep breath, pulling up the proverbial drawbridge as she wiped her tears away. “If you don't care about me, you don't want me around- fine. But I will not live like this, do you hear me? You might as well just knock me up now, because the sooner I have a baby, then the sooner I can move far away from the city and be with people who actually care about me.” Loki stopped short, doubt clouding his eyes as he looked down at her.

“I thought you wanted to wait.”

“Yeah, well- that was then,” Claire snapped. “When I thought we actually had a future. When I thought we could be happy. But now?” Claire laughed sarcastically. “That was our future we saw in there, Loki! That guy you were talking to? His wife hates him. They don’t care about each other; they only care about duty,” she sneered. “How long do you think it’ll take before we’re just like that?” she swallowed thickly, new tears threatening as she looked away. “I didn’t want us to be like this.”

“Claire, you're drunk. We will talk about this more when you're thinking clearly.”

“No! I wanna talk about this NOW!” Claire shoved at him again with all her weight, nearly making him stumble. “You don't get to just throw me away and expect me to come running whenever you call! I'm not your pet, you ass, I am your WIFE!”

“Alright, fine, I apologize,” Loki hissed hurriedly. “Will you please stop shouting?”

“NO! I gave up EVERYTHING for you AND I WILL SHOUT IF I FUCKING FEEL LIKE IT! AND I DO!!”

“At least-”

“NO! I am SICK of you-” her finger poked him in the chest angrily. “-and your dumb handsome face and that dumb distracting thing your jaw does when you get mad-” she blanched, her face going pale. “Oh no.”

“Claire?” Loki asked hopefully. Phil moved in to help, both of them grimacing when Claire doubled over and vomited all over Loki’s boots.

“I yelled too much.” She said pathetically.

“Yes,” Loki frowned. “Clearly, that was the problem.”

“We have lots of problems,” Claire groaned. “Let’s just cut our losses and have a baby now. Fuck it. It works on Earth, right?” she asked, her laughter bordering on hysterical. “How much worse could it possibly be here?”

“Is that really what you want?” Loki asked.

“No!” Claire shoved him away, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “I want the Loki I fell in love with. I don’t even know you,” she snarled, staggering away as guards approached to diffuse the situation. “Leave me alone. I can walk.”

Loki chased after her, leaving a trail of vomit-y foot prints in his wake. He was determined to make her see reason if it killed them both. Phil followed, ready to step in the second things went too far.

“Will you- STOP!” Loki shouted, jerking Claire back with a hand around her bicep.

“Let go!” She fought against his hold, feet slipping in the mess at his feet. “Let GO!” She shrieked, shoving at him hard enough to knock him to the ground. Loki landed in the mess with a disgusting splat. The guards in the hall looked on in shock, Phil stifling his laughter with a hand over his mouth.

“Are you happy now?” Loki asked angrily, his wounds from their earlier altercation reappearing as they grew far enough away from the great hall and their guests.

“Happy? You think I'm happy?!” Claire shouted. “What part of ANY OF THIS would make you think I'm happy?! You should have let me leave when I had the chance instead of tricking me into staying, you selfish! Fucking! ASSHOLE!” Claire accentuated each shout with an angry kick to Loki's leg. A guard finally stepped in to separate them, but a feral glance from Claire and the sudden appearance of the knife she carried stopped him cold. “You put a fucking hand on me and you'll lose it,” She turned back to Loki, color high in her cheeks and tears in her eyes. “Look at me!” She demanded. Her throat felt hoarse from shouting and her neck was sore. Claire knew her wounds had returned as well. She held her arms out angrily, glaring down at him where he still sat. “This is what you wanted, Loki. I hope you're satisfied.” She turned on her heel and left Loki behind once again.

She made her way through the opulent hallways, feeling the walls closing in from every direction. Gunnar eyed her with concern as she finally reached her rooms, flashing her a sympathetic smile as he opened the door. Claire tore off her dress, tears falling freely as she pulled on comfy sweats and a ratty t shirt. She didn't have the patience to undo her hair, so she left it. She collapsed onto the soft bed and let herself sob.

“Your Majesty?” Ragna’s concerned voice made her jump. “Your uncle is outside.”

“Let him in please.” Ragna nodded, disappearing from her blurry vision.

“Claire?” Phil called, his footsteps sounding as he made his way to her bedroom. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Claire said wetly. “Aren’t you glad you stayed? I sure am.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Phil asked as he sat on the bed gingerly.

“Both, I think,” Claire hiccupped. “God, this is so fucked.”

“What the hell happened?” Phil asked as Ragna breezed in with a tray of food and a pitcher of water. “When I left, you two were all over each other.”

“I wish I knew,” Claire shook her head. “Thank you, Ragna. Will you help me fix my hair?”

“Of course,” Ragna crossed the room, grabbing a silver hairbrush from Claire’s vanity before sitting behind her on the bed. “I brought your favorite cake from the kitchen.”

“You’re amazing, thank you.”

“Of course,” Ragna smiled as she began to pluck the pins from Claire’s elaborate hairstyle. “His Majesty is a fool.”

“And to think, I married the smart brother.” Claire quipped, the two women sharing quiet giggles as Ragna brushed Claire’s hair.

“So what, Loki’s a hostile again?” Phil asked. “Was he just pretending this whole time?”

“I don’t know,” Claire shook her head. “Something isn’t adding up. Things changed when we got back from our honeymoon; up until then he was basically a declawed kitten.”

“It’s true,” Ragna offered. “Both of them were quite amorous on the trip.”

“Yes, thank you,” Phil grimaced, his stomach turning at the thought. “Do you have any theories?”

“Nothing concrete. The biggest contender is Yrsa,” Claire spat the name. “She and Loki used to be a thing, and she’s been telling the entire court that he’s bored of me and only wants me to have his babies.”

“And you believe that?”

“I mean, what else am I supposed to think? He barely spends more than ten minutes at a time with me, and usually half that time is taken up with us fighting.”

“More than half,” Ragna muttered under her breath, shrugging when Claire and Phil both glanced at her. “Am I wrong?”

“Ugh, no,” Claire agreed. “I can’t ignore the possibility of Fandral being involved too. He’s been barking up my tree since I got here.”

“Is he allowed to do that?” Phil asked.

“No one is allowed to do that, except Loki. Not that he wants to,” Claire rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I could see Yrsa and Fandral working together.”

“They have been seen walking together,” Ragna reported in a scandalous tone. “Yrsa’s father is furious, if palace gossip is to be believed.”

“You’re kidding,” Claire scoffed. “That’s just great!”

“Why would her father be furious?” Phil asked.

“Because Fandral is a huge skeeze,” Claire replied. “Like if you looked it up in the dictionary, you’d find a large picture of him next to the definition. Not to mention, he’s a huge step down in rank from the prince royal. I’d be pissed too if she was my kid.”

“You’d be pissed over rank?”

“Not so much the rank, but Loki is much cooler than Fandral in my opinion.”

“He made you cry.” Phil said flatly.

“And I will stab him in due time, but I would much rather be married to him than Fandral.” Claire shuddered at the thought.

“I can go stab him right now-”

“Absolutely not- as his wife, I get first dibs! The rest of you can form a line behind me,” Claire argued. “What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can’t live the rest of my life like this.”

“I am once again recommending stabbing-”

“Stabbing isn’t going to solve all of my problems!” Claire shouted. “I need actual advice that won’t land me in prison.” Phil sighed heavily, adjusting his seat on the bed.

“Look, this place is insane, but I have never known you to let another person define you. You always said there were things you would want to do if you were in a position of power, and now you are. Stab Loki, don’t stab Loki; the choice is up to you. But I think you should focus on something else for now.”

“Your uncle has a point,” Ragna agreed. “You should not spend your days hiding. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Take the night and process...all of this,” Phil gestured to Claire. “You have to admit that was a lot, and I wasn’t even technically part of it.”

“Ugh, fine,” Claire rolled her eyes. “At least tell me about the shrink they’re bringing in.”

“We can talk tomorrow. You need to eat all these treats, sober up, and get some sleep,” Phil swooped in and kissed her forehead, something he hadn’t done since she was a preteen. Claire’s nose wrinkled in response, but she allowed the affection. “And no sneaking out to stab anyone.” Phil flashed the ‘I’m-watching-you’ signal before letting himself out.

“Would you like me to stay?” Ragna asked gently.

“No, Ragna, go get some sleep,” Claire got up to retrieve the tray of food. “I have some work to do.”

“Please don’t hesitate to call for me,” Ragna got to her feet to leave. “After all, I am right next door now.”

Claire watched Ragna disappear through the door adjoining their chambers before turning her focus onto the food in front of her. She was still full from dinner, but the tiny cakes were too pretty to resist.

As she ate, Claire thought back to Loki. Clearly resolving things wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Something had to change. But what?

“What am I supposed to do?” She asked the empty room pathetically. “I can't live like this.” Claire got to her feet, wiping her swollen eyes delicately on her sleeve. She rummaged in her armoire for her hidden snack bag. Claire seized a package of peanut butter crackers and the pitcher of water Ragna had left for her. Claire took her offering out onto the terrace, setting the crackers and pitcher on the railing. Stepping back, she slid down the wall to sit on the cold stone floor. “Hekate, please...help me. I don't know what to do.” Exhausted and drained, Claire quickly fell asleep where she sat, tumbling deep into the realm of dreams.

She dreamed of an unseen dog howling, and a deep but feminine voice whispering to her.

“Feelings pass,” the voice promised. “Greatness calls.” Claire saw Ragna and her other ladies, and a hundred thousand silhouettes behind them. Ragna smiled, and Claire jolted awake, her mind suddenly and blissfully clear. She was still upset, but the hurt felt...dulled, almost. Still there, but less central. Claire knew that, even though she still held hope for a good relationship with Loki, there were more important things she could do with her new life.

So Loki was a dick. There was more to life than...well...dick. Claire felt resolved. She would dedicate her life to using her position to help others. But a little mystical warfare couldn’t hurt...

Claire rummaged through her things until she found what she needed. Typically she would prefer a lemon hex, but she didn’t want to arouse suspicion by asking for anything. A jar would suit Loki just fine.

She lit the black candle, sitting at her desk to let it burn down. She wrote Loki’s name on a slip of parchment three times, folding the paper away from her as she focused her intention into it. She stuffed the paper into the bottom of the small jar and added vinegar to it. She added a smattering of red pepper flakes, a dash of black pepper, and a mountain of chili powder.

Brushing off her fingers, Claire sat back and considered the jar. It felt incomplete. She could always pee in the jar, but that felt unnecessary. For all her anger, she might forgive Loki if he stopped being a massive prick.

Claire stepped out onto the balcony for some fresh air. The early morning sun made her eyes water as she squinted at the mountains, enjoying the cool crisp breeze that ruffled her hair. She let her hands wander across the stone balustrade, the small pock marks in the stone rasping against her skin until she bumped into something unusual with her hand. Claire looked down, eyebrows raising as she realized what it was.

A dead wasp.

Yellow legs curled in the air above the wasps’ thorax, as if reaching to the sky for comfort. Claire couldn’t recall seeing any wasps in her time on Asgard, but she’d never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Thank you,” she murmured, eyes darting upward as she collected the dead wasp from its resting place. Inside, she dropped it into the jar and inserted the cork plug. “Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble. So mote it be.” Claire tipped the black candle, sealing the jar and her intentions in inky wax. The candle was snuffed, and the jar found a new home on the small altar she’d concealed in her armoire.

Exhausted, Claire dragged her feet all the way to her bed, where she collapsed on top of the blankets. Her eyes fluttered closed, willing the sun not to rise any further so she could get some decent rest.

A sudden thought had her reaching for paper and a quill. She wrote quickly, desperate to get her thoughts on paper before she fell asleep.

~~~~

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Ragna called as she stepped into the princess’ bed chamber. The princess lay sprawled face down across the mattress in her night clothes. One slipper clung desperately to the ball of her foot, the other lay on its side halfway across the room as if she’d thrown it. One of her arms hung over the side of the bed, fingers curled loosely around a quill. A dribble of ink had dried along one of her fingers, pinning a scrap of discarded parchment to her fingernail with black ooze. “Perhaps not so good,” Ragna cringed. Her neck would probably be very sore when she woke. “Your Majesty?”

“I’m up!” Claire bolted upright, her spine crackling loudly at the movement and paralyzing her with pain. “Owfucknevermind,” she wheezed, collapsing back onto the bed. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Ragna chuckled. “Shall I draw you a bath?”

“Yes please,” Claire moaned as she tried to burrow into the blankets. The crinkle of parchment made her flinch, gazing at the parchment stuck to her hand in bewilderment. “Is there something stuck to me?” she flapped her hand to get it off, flapping harder when it stayed stuck in place. “Whatthefuck?!”

“It’s alright,” Ragna rushed to help her, carefully unsticking the parchment from her nail bed. “It’s just a bit of parchment. It looks as though you were...oh.”

“What?” Claire asked. “What is it?” Ragna appeared to be holding back laughter as she handed the parchment to Claire.

“I didn’t realize you were artistically inclined. It’s...lovely.”

On the paper, Claire had created a rough sketch of the poop emoji, squared on top of a sloppy rendering Loki’s shoulders.

“Oh yeah, I remember now,” Claire snickered. “Get it? He’s a shit head.” she and Ragna burst into hysterical laughter, throwing them completely off task and making Claire late.

As she was hurrying to the great hall, she accidentally bumped into Thor when she turned a corner, dropping her notebook and the parchment onto the floor.

“Shit, sorry! It’s been a...a rough morning.” Claire said as she stooped to gather her things.

“It is no trouble, sister. I assumed it would be a difficult morning for you.”

“You heard, didn’t you?” Claire asked flatly.

“Dear sister, I believe everyone heard.” Thor offered sympathetically. Hogun, Sif and Volstagg wore matching grimaces on their faces.

“Cool, I love that for me,” Claire groaned. “I didn’t exactly plan on making a scene, it just happened.”

“What is this?” Volstagg asked, bending low to collect something off the ground. Claire’s stomach rioted violently as she recognized the parchment.

“I believe this is-” Sif blanched, her brows furrowing as she brought the parchment closer to her face. “Is this...excrement?”

“He’s a shit head.” Claire said quietly, hugging her things to her chest. The warriors laughed raucously, new peals of laughter beginning with each pass the drawing made around their semi-circle.

“I think you captured him perfectly,” Thor cackled with glee, wiping a tear from his eye as he gazed down at the drawing. “Well done!”

“Thanks, can I get it back please?”

“BROTHER! COME SEE YOUR WIFE’S ARTISTIC RENDERING OF YOU!” Thor bellowed down the hall.

“Thor, no,” Claire begged. “Don’t be that guy, come on, let me have it back, he’s gonna be pissed- okay, more pissed.” She really didn’t want to see Loki right now and she especially didn’t want him to see her making fun of him with Thor and the others. They really didn’t need any more bad blood between them.

“Peace, sister, he will never harm you-”

“That’s not- just give it back, please give it back-”

“I shan’t! Not until Loki sees it!” Thor cried, holding it high above his head. “You cannot possibly reach this high-ack!” Thor found himself sprawled on the floor as Claire tackled him to the floor, arm straining to reach the parchment as Thor fought to hold her back. A familiar (freshly cleaned) pair of boots came into view and Claire’s stomach sank.

“Mother fucker.”

“I beg your pardon?” Disdain dripped from every syllable out of Loki’s mouth. “What is this?” he asked pointedly. “This is low, even for you.” Claire wasn’t sure if he was talking to Thor or her. She cringed as she realized how this must look- they were sort of tangled together. Claire found herself unceremoniously dumped on the floor as Thor jumped to his feet.

“Just a bit of sport! Claire wanted you to see-” Thor collapsed as Claire kicked his leg out from under him, sending the parchment fluttering out of his meaty hand.

“I did not, you big dumb liar!” Great insult Claire. Thor will need ice for that burn. “I was trying to get it back-”

“I care not about your petty squabbles. I am however, rather offended by your artistic liberties.”

“Oh?”

“You are missing quite a bit of detail in my armor, for one,” Loki said pointedly, green eyes flicking up to meet hers. “And secondly, I am disappointed that you neglected to add stink lines. Hardly an example of compelling storytelling, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Thank you very much for the critique, Picasso,” Claire snatched the parchment from his open hand. “I’ll be sure to give you my edits.” she stomped off toward the great hall.

“First thing tomorrow!” Loki called after her, allowing a smirk to grace his features when she flipped him off over her shoulder.

“Loki-”

“Do not speak to me,” Loki rounded on Thor, eyes gleaming with vitriol. “You mean to test me? Do not touch my wife again.”

“I meant no harm-”

“I do not care what your intent is, do not touch her again!”

“But she-”

“ENOUGH!” Thor flinched. “Heed me, brother. Or on my honor as a Prince of Asgard, I shall be forced to demand recompense” Thor’s eyes grew wide with fear.

“You have my word, Loki. I truly meant no ill will.” he said nervously.

Loki stalked away, following his wife’s footsteps toward the great hall. Claire was already seated at their table, doodling in a notebook. Loki said nothing as he approached, watching her write words and circling them before connecting the circles with lines.

“What are you doing?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m making a word web, to brainstorm.” Claire said absently, scrawling the words ‘hjemlos’ and ‘agriculture’ on her paper before drawing a line between them.

“And what is the purpose of this?”

“I’m trying to figure out how best to spend my time and influence,” Claire made another note as Ragna brought her a goblet of juice. “Thank you Ragna. What do you think about this?” she tapped the paper, the two women falling into quiet conversation as Loki looked on.

“You’re plotting with servants now?” he asked when Ragna stepped away.

“I’ve got to do something that doesn’t involve waiting for you to get your head out of your ass,” Claire replied calmly as she scratched something out and added something in. “If you don’t have anything constructive to add, please let me work in peace.”

“Suddenly you care about peace,” Loki laughed sarcastically. “I’m sure our guests last night would have much preferred this new peaceful version of you. Think how quiet the evening would have been without you making a scene.”

“And who pushed me to make that scene?” blue eyes flicked in his direction accusingly.

“I would wager it was the entire cask of wine you consumed. How is your stomach this morning?”

“Funny.”

“I try.” It was clear he had no intent to let her focus on her work, so Claire closed her notebook. She nestled her pen in the metal rings before rounding on him.

“Since you’re so desperate to chat, let me share some things I’ve learned about you in the past few weeks-”

“I do not care what idle observations-”

“You have issues with commitment.”

“This is your world-shattering observation?” Loki scoffed. “I hope you have evidence to support your claim.”

“Oh don’t worry, I kept all the receipts,” Claire patted his arm in a pseudo comforting manner. “Let’s see…you failed at being a king, you failed at defeating your brother, then you failed at conquering my planet, which led to this disaster which you also failed at! In conclusion-”

“Do you have a point?”

“I do, thanks so much for asking. My point is you are really, really great at starting things, and really, reallybad at finishing them- for the love of god, do not make a sex joke right now!” Claire hissed when Loki opened his mouth to argue. Loki’s face wrinkled in disgust.

“I wasn’t,” he grumbled. “The last thing I want to think about at this moment is having sex with you.”

“Oh goody, we’re in agreement!” Claire replied cheerfully. “Now, I’ve had some time to think about your little problem-”

“Have you considered speaking less?”

“Have you considered throwing yourself off the bifrost?” Claire asked. “Oh wait- you already did that! Back to what I was saying-”

“Your theory, whilst entertaining, is wrong.”

“Oh?”

“Very. Whatever our personal climate, the alliance still stands which means it is a success.”

“I couldn’t give a rats ass about the alliance right now. I’m talking about you and me. I stayed here for you. We were building something amazing and you threw it away. You can’t stand to be vulnerable- that’s your real problem.”

“Stop talking.”

“Make me.”

“I could, if I wanted.” his dark eyes glinted with anger.

“So do it. There’s a knife right there,” Claire’s eyes dropped to the knife on his place setting before she met his gaze. “We both know you won’t, Loki. Yesterday aside, you enjoy not being in prison too much to do any permanent damage.”

“I’m so grateful you have me figured out.” Loki said flatly.

“Oh you bet your ass I do,” Claire seethed. “You manipulated me, plain and simple. You made promises you clearly have no intention of keeping, in order to convince me to give up my entire life for you,” Claire set her silverware down, taking a long pull from her goblet. “But it doesn’t matter now. I’m here, and whether you or anyone else helps me I’m going to find a way to use my power and privilege to help people. So see you later, have a terrible day, and suck my dick.” she pushed away from the table, leaving the great hall without another word.

He let her leave, pretending he did not see the look of disappointment Frigga cast his way as he drained his goblet and left in a completely different direction.

~~~~

By mid-morning, Claire had made much more progress on her list of ideas with Ragna’s help. The list of social issues was long, and disheartening, but Claire was determined to pick at least a few that she could start to tackle.

“I think with the stores the palace has, we could easily-” a knock on the door disrupted the women’s conversation. “Come in!”

“The crown prince, Your Highness.” Gunnar announced.

“Thor!” Claire brightened, getting up from the desk to greet him. “This is a surprise! What can I do for you?”

“Hello sister,” Thor said, very obviously not looking in her direction. “I came to apologize for my behavior earlier this morning.”

“Apologize? You mean for showing my drawing to Loki?” Claire chuckled. “I didn’t really mean for him to ever see it, but it was pretty funny. I’m not upset about it- are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine.” Thor nodded, eyes firmly locked on the decorative vase on the mantle.

“Thor?”

“Hmm?”

“Why aren’t you looking at me?” Claire looked at Ragna, hoping she had an explanation. Ragna looked just as baffled as Claire.

“Forgive me, sister, I simply do not wish to further court your husband’s ire.”

“Why not? I enjoy pissing him off,” a mental image of steam coming out of Loki’s ears made Claire laugh. “Did he say something to you? Because I’m really not upset- I don’t even know why he would-”

“My brother has always had a possessive streak, something which you seem to inspire even further- not that he should not-” Thor babbled. “I mean- he should defend you, you are his wife- I have no desire to duel with my brother, so if I have offended you-” Claire hadn’t heard this tone from Thor before. He actually sounded panicked.

“Thor-”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to stop talking?”

“Yes please,” Thor pleaded, distress evident in the hunch of his shoulders as he covered his face in his large hands. “I should...I should take my leave.”

“Um...okay,” Claire said. “But just to be clear, whatever Loki’s issue is, is not mine. I’m not mad at you in any way, shape, or form. Capisce?”

“Yes, I...capisce,” Thor gave her an awkward little bow before turning and headbutting the door. He recovered quickly, but Claire and Ragna cringed all the same. “Fare thee well, sister. And...young lady.” Gunnar closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Ragna and Claire completely baffled.

“What the hell was that about?”

~~~~

Confused by the days goings-on, Claire adamantly refused to leave her chambers again. Instead of dinner, she was consuming an unhealthy amount of sugar and fat in the (somewhat) privacy of her own home.

Until Loki showed up.

“What do you want?” Claire asked flatly as Gunnar opened the door. Loki opened his mouth to answer, but was distracted by the orange powder on her bosom. His gaze dropped against his will to her generous chest, prompting Claire to look down and hastily scrub the offending dust away. “Well?”

“I…” Loki’s well-rehearsed apologetic speech vanished into the ether as she glowered at him. Even dressed down with mussed hair and sugar crystals on her lower lip, she was radiant.

“Loki?” The anger in her gaze softened, vulnerability shining through like a ray of sunshine through darkened clouds.

“I came to be sure Thor hasn’t been bothering you.”

“Yes, because he’s such a bother,” Claire scoffed. “He won’t even look in my direction! What did you do?”

“Why do you assume I did anything?” Loki balked. “Everyone is forever blaming me for whatever foolish things that oaf does-”

“Oh, will you stow your younger sibling bullshit and just answer the question, Ron Weasley?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Oh! I didn’t tell you. I’ve decided to start calling you Ron Weasley.” Claire announced, wheeling away from Loki to snag a Twizzler from her array of snacks.

“Why?” Loki huffed as she took a large bite of the confection. “What could I possibly have in common with that miserable gutter rat?”

“Because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon!” Claire shouted, her half-eaten Twizzler striking him ineffectually in the stomach.

“Stop throwing things at me,” Loki demanded, beginning to pace back and forth in front of her door. “And when is Ron ever described as such?”

“In ‘Order of the Phoenix’, you ass!” Claire cried angrily. “Which you would know if you actually read the books instead of just pretending to actually like them to- I don’t know, make me like you more or something!”

“I do like them!” Loki shouted back defensively, resuming his pacing. “This is what you wish to shout at me about?”

“There are a LOT of things I’d like to shout at you about; this just happens to be on my mind at present!”

“By all means,” Loki threw up his hands in defeat. “Well? I expect you have a list prepared of all my sins?”

“Not at the moment,” Claire conceded, folding her arms over her chest. “But if you wait a minute-”

“I’m not here to fight-”

“Then why are you here?” Claire scoffed. “What can I possibly do for you at this moment in time?”

“I had hoped we could resolve our...miscommunication.”

“Miscommunication,” Claire repeated. “That’s what you’re calling it?” Loki shifted impatiently, an angry huff escaping him.

“What would you call it then?” he asked heatedly.

“Why is Thor suddenly terrified to look at me?” Claire demanded to know. Loki’s jaw clenched as he turned away sharply, the muscle flexing as his eyes burned holes in the marble floor.

“That oaf has no right-”

“To look at me?” Claire angrily broke off a piece of a KitKat bar, the crispy wafer crumbling between her molars. “He mentioned a duel. Did you threaten him?”

“There are things you do not understand-”

“What was it about growing up here that was so bad? Hmm? Sure, Thor casts a pretty big shadow but you cast one of your own. Incredibly powerful sorcerer, smart as a whip. So what was it? Did he steal your girlfriend or something? Did you not get enough hugs?”

“No, I didn’t! Is that what you want to hear?!” Loki shouted. “I have always been the second choice, the after thought. Everyone treats me that way, but I will not be second place to Thor- not with you!”

“Who said you were?!”

“I am not going to debate this with you; I saw you this morning. You were all over him!”

“I was trying to get the drawing back-”

“I don’t care. This ends now. Am I understood? If he looks at you again I will gouge out his eyes!”

“WHAT?!” Claire shrieked. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” Claire shouted as she began to pelt him with gummy bears. “You don’t get to decide who gets to look at me!” Loki dodged many of the small sugary projectiles, shielding his face with his arm as they bounced uselessly off of his armor.

“I’m the only person who gets to decide!”

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Go away.” At her command, Gunnar barred the door with his spear, earning an angry look from Loki.

“You cannot ban me from your chambers!” Claire growled angrily as she realized her bag of gummy bears was tragically empty.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want, you arrogant twat! I can’t believe I wasted my last bag of gummy bears on you,” she groaned. “You don’t even like gummy bears!”

“No, but now I can do this!” Loki’s boot stomped down on a defenseless blue bear, Claire looking on in horror as an ugly electric blue smear was streaked across the floor.

“No, not the blue ones! Those are my favorite!”

“Oh how rude of me!” Loki stomped on another blue gummy bear, a matching smear joining the first. “Oops!”

“You did that on purpose!”

“Yes, I did! What are you going to do about it?!”

“Oh you’d better run,” Claire snarled. “Before I figure out a way to smear you across the floor!”

“I’d like to see you try!” Loki turned on his heel to leave, stomping on another gummy bear for good measure.

“Oh that- mother fucker!” Claire howled with rage, leaning out of the doorway to shout after him. “I’m calling Bruce Banner!” There. Let him sweat about that.

The following day

Fueled by spite and still mourning the loss of her gummy bears, Claire set about her plans for the day. Having dealt with the most pressing matter of making sure Ragna was safe, it was time to pivot to another project: starting a care program for the hjemlos.

Per her instructions, a small group of serving women had gathered in the kitchen with supplies to make a collection of food baskets.

The project was well underway when Loki arrived, seemingly determined to distract Claire from her work.

“Unless you’re here to replace the gummy bears you murdered, I’m not interested.” she breezed past him, depositing the apples in her arms in the baskets.

“Clearly you are still upset.”

“I am not.” Claire said simply. “I’m annoyed, not upset.”

“Fine. You were upset, and I came to see what I could do to alleviate your suffering.”

Claire burst into a fit of laughter, making Loki angrier. How dare she laugh at him!

“Wait- did you-” Claire cackled, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “You think I'm sad? Loki, I have a thousand things better to do than sit around and mope over some dumb ass boy,” Claire sneered. “What did you expect me to do, fall to pieces? Wait around for you to give me a crumb of affection? That's not how this works.” Loki looked taken aback.

“But- you were upset,” he backpedaled. “You were, you were upset-”

“I got over it, obviously,” Claire illustrated her point by gesturing toward the baskets of food she was assembling. She picked up an armful of bread loaves to distribute between the baskets. “Look, you're clearly used to people hanging on to your every word and living and breathing for the smallest morsel of your approval. I am not one of them. If you decide to gift me with some half-wilted flowers and a lackluster poem, great. If not, then by the grace of Freyja I will survive.”

“Half-wilted? LACKLUSTER?!” Loki looked insulted, gaping at her dumbfounded. He composed himself with a scoff, straightening his vambrace as his wounded pride made his chest puff up. “Woman, when I decide to woo you, I will not make pathetic, ill-conceived gestures. You will be beside yourself with wanting me.”

“Ha! Excuse me if I don’t hold my breath. Now move, I need to finish these. People are hungry.” She breezed by him, depositing a bread loaf into each of the baskets. Loki gaped after her, astonished at how easily she dismissed him.

“Woman! You- you-” he found himself tripping over his words in a way he hadn't in centuries. “Do not dismiss me as if I were an errant child!” He shadowed her footsteps, crowding her against the wall when she turned. “Do you remember our wedding night? Our honeymoon? How sweetly you begged me to give you release, how you trembled in my bed?” Loki sighed, eyes falling closed with satisfaction. “I could give you that a thousand times over if you would simply stop being ridiculous.”

“Wow, that's so generous.”

“I can be! Let go of this ridiculous charade and-”

“So you would have me earn your affection like a dog?” Claire pushed him back with a snarl. “You're thinking of a pet, not a partner. Now do you mind? I'm on a deadline,” Loki growled as she elbowed past, rebuffing him in full view of the serving staff. “Let's start packaging these for distribution.” Claire spoke to the nearest servant, drawing a circle in the air above a group of finished baskets.

“Do not ignore me- I am your husband and I will be respected!” Color high on his cheeks, Loki lashed out with his seidr, upending several baskets in front of Claire.

“Are you kidding me?” She shot him an ireful glare that would kill a mortal man. The servants looked concerned as she rounded on him with fury in her steps. “If you wanna act like a child I will treat you like one!” She grabbed him by the ear, taking him by surprise and managing to pull him to the door. She shoved him gracelessly out into the hallway, making him stumble and nearly fall on his ass. “Get out!” She slammed the door in his face, rattling the door frame with the force.

The servants were stunned when she turned away from the door.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” one of the cooks asked.

“I am fine. I apologize that you had to see that,” Claire replied, releasing the tension in her body with a sharp exhale. “Let’s fix these back up.”

With Loki banished from the kitchen, the group of women made quick work of repairing the baskets. A cart was brought for them to be loaded onto, and Claire enlisted two of the women to help her distribute them. As they were loading the last of the baskets, an Einherjar appeared to escort them out of the palace.

“It is an honor to serve you, princess.” the Einherjar said as he knelt, fist over his heart.

“Please, there’s no need for formality here,” Claire awkwardly gestured for the man to stand up. As he reached eye level, Claire thought he looked similar to Gunnar. “You must be Gunnar’s brother! Agnar, right?”

“I- yes,” the man gasped. “I’m honored you thought to remember me.”

“It’s no trouble. I’m grateful to you for escorting us.” Agnar’s cheeks flushed and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

“Everything is loaded, my lady.”

“Wonderful, thank you. Shall we?”

The small group made their way from the kitchens and through the gate, joining the throngs of people in the marketplace. People bowed and curtsied as Claire led the group through the rows of vendors, and Claire greeted them in turn, happy to be out in the sunshine on such a beautiful day.

Beyond the market, the crowds thinned out. Agnar took the lead, guiding them to the slums where they were more likely to find hjemlos.

As they came across a small group of people, Claire put all thoughts of Loki out of her mind. It felt good to have something else to focus on, however small.

For now, that was enough.

#meowmeow writes #covenant #loki fic #loki x ofc

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saltyyuuri · 5 months ago

Text

Phoenix x GNreader

don't worry 'bout a thing 😘

no warnings

song (don't worry, macdon rae dalton): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6kQgVKiAYg

For context; reader is a radiant- their power is to control their own time reality.

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

You were a bit too hyper today, lord knows you become an absolute ball of energy when you have a tad too much caffeine for the day; but also when you learn you get a mission with your favorite agent, Phoenix. And just like you, he also gets a bit too hyper when he sees you both are assigned as a duo on a mission. You two were like two peas in a pod at times- or as many other protocol agents would describe it; sharing the last braincell.

It was just your type of mission too- something fast paced that needed to be timed perfectly. And who better to work on a mission like that than the agent who can slow her own time reality to perfection? It only made things better you could have fun with Jamie- Phoenix while doing so.

''(Y-N), you ready to burn the place to the ground?'' Jamie asked with a huge grin, his usual cocky demeanor on display once again. ''Oh you bet I am- just try to not burn me too!'' You replied with a chuckle, pacing slightly in the aircraft that would bring you to the mission sights. ''Aye, you can dodge it-'' He said teasingly, knowing very well your power would allow you to dodge even bullets if you wanted to.

''Jamie if you burn me, I will make it a you problem afterwards-'' You retorted, rolling your eyes at his remark, shaking your head slightly. Surprisingly he didn't respond, instead, pulling out his phone too play some music. It was upbeat and high energy- and with both of you running on a caffein rush, the two started to bob their heads to the music; phoenix even slightly dancing in his seat as the music played; snapping his fingers and swaying his shoulders as he hummed along to the music.

Brimstone's voice broke the ambiance, ringing into both your earpieces as you paused the music. ''okay you two- enough with the music. You'll be landing on Ascent in a minute, I need you two focused and ideally with more than a braincell each. copy?''

''10-04 sir!'' you responded, grinning from ear to ear- as the song got stuck in your head, still humming it as you continued to sway a bit in your seat to the beat of the music. And that humming and swaying was contagious, Jamie was already doing the same; bobbing his head before slightly singing along to the song.

''I said focus you two- ugh.... why do I even try?'' Brimstone's voice rang through again, a heavy sigh could be heard on the comms. ''Aye, don't worry bout a thing, old man. We got this!'' Jamie followed up, grinning widely as he did finger guns your way. You chuckled- the song you both had stuck in your head was indeed ''Don't worry'' by Macdon and Rae Dalton- and the reference only made Brimstone sigh harder. You fist bumped Jamie, standing up.

The aircraft had landed on the mission sights- both of you getting down on the attacker side of the zone. ''So- we doin the usual, J?'' You asked Phoenix as you loaded a mag into your phantom, the heavier gun's weight resting onto your shoulder. ''I entry, you cover? Bet-'' He responded, his grin still wide while he loaded a fresh mag into his vandal.

''a or B site?'' You asked him, waiting for his answer as you stood nearby, head still bobbing slightly as the damn song was still stuck in your mind- the catchy tune just playing on repeat as you waited for an answer. ''I'm feelin it for B site, you good with that?'' ''J I'd be good with your last name if you asked-'' You retorted, grinning widely as you already started to step in direction of B site. ''Ayo- You can't just say that and leave- (Y-N)!''

Jamie followed behind you- looking a little flustered at the sudden remark, breaking his cocky persona just slightly. ''Seriously- (Y-N), are you being for real-?!'' He asked again, a bit flustered but grinning widely as he caught up, looking right at you as if searching for an answer on your expression. ''Am I? Good question-'' You responded, looking mischievous as you continued to walk- but avoiding eye contact.

As you knew damn well- if you made eye contact now- he would definitely know you were being serious. You two often play flirted; so it wasn't that hard to play off anyways, but sometimes, just sometimes, there seemed to be some seriousness to your flirting. It wasn't that you were scared to confess- more like you were waiting to see if Jamie would make a move. It was almost a game at this point- Who would crack first?

''Oh (Y-N) that's a low blow- c'mon-'' Phoenix whined, lowering his gun slightly as he spoke. you two were about to start entering the hallway to B site- and you gave him a slight look to not lose composure now. It wasn't the time or place to lower a weapon. ''You started it by saying you might burn me-'' ''I didn't say that! I said you could dodge-'' ''still kind insinuates-''

''Enough you two, jeez!'' Brimstone's voice rang through the comms, bringing you both back to focus a bit on the mission. It was obvious the protocol's leader was starting to lose patience on the two of you, so you both quieted down a bit. ''10-04 sir-'' You responded again, this time trying to be a bit more serious as you responded. ''(Y-N) cut it with the radio codes- be a normal person and just say 'ok'.'' Brimstone replied in a deadpan tone- and as much as you wanted to argue it; saying that it was out of habit from an old job- you couldn't as Jamie was already preparing top move in the site.

You followed behind Jamie closely, watching him closely as you waited for your sign to follow up. When he was on the ledge of the entrance to B site, he prepared his flash, looking back at you to make sure you were okay and ready. With a small nod- your mission truly began. Phoenix threw his flash, then rushed into the sight, clearing corners rapidly. You followed up, clearing what he didn't as you followed behind him- jumping onto the sight as you quickly scouted for any omega agents.

The site seemed clear- getting to work on setting up some security stuff as you were tasked. You worked fast, incase omega agents would show up. Jamie held guard, making sure nothing would happen. You were done fast- and surprisingly nothing happeened. ''onto A site I guess-'' You said as you were already starting to prepare to move out, taking the inactivity for a good thing. no gunning meant a faster done job- which meant more free time.

''Aight, follow me then-'' Phoenix said as he took the lead. He decided to cut through market- heading to the middle of the area. his plan was to pass through tree; if the area was truly threat free is was going to be fast. He chose to walk in mid without flashing this time, assuming it was empty- which was a mistaken.

Gun fire erupted, snapping you to focus- already ready to intervein. Jamie was surprisingly rapid to gun back- taking down the target with only a bullet graze. It was minor, nothing to worry about- but the incident made you understand that setting up security on A site would be a bit harder than hoped.

''I'll head through tree, I'll take low, you go high.'' He instructed, already starting to move in on the catwalk, which you were quick to follow. You both took your own paths, and you quietly snuck through to head to A high. The only thing you didn't expect was for phoenix to swing the sight without waiting for you- ''J wait-'' You said on the comms, but you could already hear gunfire.

You ran up the stairs, preparing to activate your own radiant powers- ''All eyes on me'' you said, swinging the corner to try to spot enemies fast. You saw 3 on the sight from your vantage point- shooting one down that was currently aiming at phoenix. When the enemy attention was starting to shift your way, you activated your power, time slowing for yourself.

In your point of view, everything was very slow. but in enemy point of view- you were moving very fast- faster than Neon, the agent known for her speed. You jumped down from A heaven to take cover in A hell, and Phoenix took it as his chance to attack. '' Let me show you how the boss does it-'' He activated his own power, rushing in the sight to take down anyone without a care if he got shot.

You two were very well coordinated even though there was essentially no communication on a plan- you came out of your hiding spot ready to assist Phoenix. You scoped onto the enemy who was aiming at him- and he scoped onto the enemy aiming to you- shots being taken almost simultaneously. You could've sworn you heard Phoenix still singing to that damn song he got stuck in both your heads- inevitably bringing it back to your consciousness as you hummed it.

Phoenix ran it back- respawning where his ultimate was initially activated. He was grinning widely, his vandal raised upward and resting on his shoulder, looking triumphant. ''Aye- we got that chemistry-'' He said, a sly smirk on his face as he turned to you. You still had your own power active- Your eyes giving off a faint glow to show you were still ready to react if necessary. '' You just realized? Also damn you, you got the song stuck in my head again-'' You retorted with a chuckle.

He laughed, his signature grin gracing his lips. ''Don't worry bout a thing, I got this-'' He said teasingly, this time gesturing you to start setting up the security systems. ''you're a paiiiin. I'll have that stuck in my head for hours now- thanks.'' You said, chuckling slightly. Your power was still active, moving fast to set everything up to make up for the last few minutes spent taking down enemies. ''Haha- hey at least it's a good song!'' Phoenix said teasingly.

"Though there is something bugging me-'' He continued, glancing over at you as you worked, moving at inhumane speed as you profited of your powers that were still active. You came back to reality- nearly done with the setup. You didn't face phoenix immediately, still busy with finishing up some wiring. ''what's up J'' You asked him, finishing up the wiring- just quickly twisting the wires together.

''Isn't there usually like.. 5 omega agents on cases like these? We only crossed 4-'' Phoenix said, his vandal now resting along his side, looking your way. You raised your head, now done with the wiring. you picked up your phantom, finally turning towards Jamie. ''Guess we got lucky, J-'' You started to say- immediately cutting yourself off as you saw an omega agent swing the corner to A main- the final omega agent to stand.

You reacted at inhumane speed, launching yourself Phoenix's way to kick him behind the knees; just barely making it on time as he toppled forward- watching the bullet meant for his head now just fly through the air, nearly brushing his dreads. you instantly scoped onto the enemy- taking the shot and watching the body drop with a thud.

And there was a second, less graceful thud that came from Phoenix, now faceplanted onto the ground. ''oOw- CaN'T You just say 'DUCK' like a normal person?!'' he asked with a slight voice crack, sitting up and rubbing his scraped cheek. ''Where's the fun with that? plus- 'Don't worry bout a thing', I got your back-'' You cackled out softly, grinning as you threw a wink his way, finding his pouty demeanor adorable.

''Gosh, so rude! Scratching my perfect face-'' Phoenix whined a bit, finally standing back up- though now making a beat puppy face as he held his scrapped cheek. ''Gods your whiny. Want a kiss for your booboo?'' You asked him mockingly, rolling your eyes but still smiling at his demeanor. ''I mean- if you're offering-... I won't pass it up-'' he replied, a cheeky smile making its way to his face, the whiny voice now replaced with a more giddy one.

You chuckled, walking up to Phoenix, grabbing his collar firmly to tug him down a bit. He had let go of his cheek, giving you a clear view at the scrape. He didn't seem to expect the tug- looking slightly surprised. But his expression changed to a more flustered one as you gently planted your lips to the minor wound- no hesitation on your end. You had never been as far as to kissing him before, which took him by surprise.

When you pulled away- he looked like he was trying to find something to retort, but had to take a few extra seconds to come up with something worthy of a retort. ''I-... uh...'' He started- clearing his throat before speaking up. ''So about earlier and wanting my last name-'' He blubbered out, face flushed as he spoke- looking like he was desperately trying to bring on the conversation back to that relationship talk.

''Jamie, are you trying to confess here-'' You asked him teasingly- wanting to see if he was finally going top make a move after all this time- hopeful the answer was yes. He took a second to process your words- then his expression shifting to a smile. He seemed to have suddenly recomposed himself, his confidence coming back in a go.

''Maybe I am-'' He started, a hand sneaking around your waist. He leaned in closer, pausing a few inches away from your face as he spoke. This time, it was your turn to be slightly flustered, but grinning nevertheless. ''No balls-'' You retorted- the words escaping you faster than you could think. ''Bet-'' He replied, leaning in. You could almost feel his lips on your-

''Agent Phoenix, Agent (Y-N) can you cut the goddamn flirting and get back to the aircraft already???'' Brimstone's voice cut through the comms, annoyed and getting impatient. The two of you froze- but Jamie still took a second to plant a soft kiss onto your lips before replying to brimstone. ''10-04 sir!'' He said with a wide grin- already hearing the annoyed groan coming from Brimstone's end as phoenix replied with a radio code, the same way you did. ''Not you too- damn lovesick bird. Just get on the damn aircraft.'' Brimstone grumbled out.

''10-04, on our way-'' You giggled out, grabbing Phoenix's hand to drag him back to the aircraft- heading through A main. The flight back was done with the comms shut off- no more interruptions from the grumpy protocol leader as you could pick up where you left off from the mission- and a bit more-... ;)

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

#valorant fanfiction #valorant #phoenix #valorant phoenix #phoenix x reader #valorant phoenix x reader #gn reader

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