Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Next time you agree to one of Thor’s idiotic bets, maybe make sure it’s not an important relic that he’s challenged you to steal?” Sif yelled as Loki pulled her down yet another alleyway, the authorities of the city still following closely.

“Really don’t have time for a lecture right now, Sif,” he yelled back at her. Somehow the next alley they ran down actually seemed to take the authorities by surprise and for a moment at least, Sif and Loki seemed to evade them.

Sif leaned back against the wall of a building, her hands going to her knees as she tried to catch her breath.  “You’re both idiots,” she grumbled breathlessly.

“Perhaps, but you’re the one who follows us,” Loki snarked back at her, peeking around the corner of the building.

Before Sif could come up with a comeback, she heard Loki curse under his breath and before Sif could ask what was wrong, he had turned to her and pushed at her shoulders, forcing her to straighten her spine as he pressed her against the building at her back.

“Loki, what-” she managed to get out, but he stepped forward and tilted his head, brushing his lips against hers in a kiss.

Sif gasped and stiffened, fully prepared to push him away, but Loki shook his head subtly and then his hands went to her hips, pulling her closer. Distantly, she could hear footsteps approaching their hiding spot and the footsteps slowed as they got closer. She wrapped her arms around Loki’s neck and moaned into his mouth, hoping that this distraction would work.

Loki groaned in response and pressed his hips tightly to hers, pressing her back against the wall, and conveniently giving her the perfect view of the opening of the alley. As Loki continued to kiss her, she opened her eyes and briefly took stock of their situation.

She broke the kiss and trailed her lips across his jaw and over to his ear. “Three guards. They’ve stopped to watch the show. I can take them if you distract them.”

He chuckled lowly and Sif bit at his earlobe in retribution. She saw a flash of green briefly and then Loki turned around slowly. “May I help you, gentlemen?” he asked, his voice subtly menacing.

“We’re looking for the thieves who stole the sacred shield. Have you seen anyone with it?”

“Afraid not. Now if you wouldn’t mind, my lady friend and I have somewhere to be.”

The guards looked uncertainly at each other. Finally, the one who seemed to be in charge nodded and moved aside. Loki turned back to Sif and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward. She stumbled against him, her hand curling around his waist. She pressed her cheek against his and hissed in his ear, “Are you sure about this?” Loki nodded subtly and she straightened, grabbing his hand as they slipped past the guards.

She held her breath as they started to walk down the street, moving as if nothing was out of the ordinary, like they hadn’t just been running from the same authorities that were watching them from a few feet away.

“I noticed a meadow on the edge of the city. We just have to get there and then we can call for Heimdall,” Loki murmured under his breath.

“Remind me to never go on another quest with you again, Loki,” Sif hissed. Loki’s grip tightened on her hand, and she looked over at him, rolling her eyes as he shot her a typical mischievous smirk.

“You love it, Sif.”

“It’s not the mischief I love, trickster,” she murmured. Loki’s eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. Sif laughed quietly and stepped forward, brushing a soft kiss against his lips. She felt Loki smile against her lips as he pulled her closer, deepening their kiss.

“There! That’s them!” Sif broke the kiss and sighed, looking over to where the captain of the guard was pointing to her and Loki.

“I don’t think we’re going to make it to the meadow,” she murmured.

Loki nodded and looked up. “Heimdall!”

The Bifrost enveloped them and within moments they were back in the observatory on Asgard.

“Successful trip?” Heimdall asked in his typically dry tone.

Sif smiled up at her brother. “Always. Thank you for getting us, Heimdall. The locals were getting restless.”

“As they do when you steal their relics,” Heimdall replied, still staying stoic. Sif swore she saw just a glimmer of amusement in his eyes though. “Thor is in the training yards.”

“Thank you, Heimdall,” Loki said formally. Sif smothered her grin. Being in a relationship with a woman who had an all-seeing brother certainly put Loki in a bind sometimes, but Sif honestly loved to watch him squirm. Loki was convinced that Heimdall hated him, but Sif knew he wasn’t nearly that set against Loki. Her brother had a vindictive streak and Loki almost always had a satisfactory landing spot when using the Bifrost. Heimdall couldn’t have minded him that much.

As they walked from the Observatory, Sif linked her arm with Loki’s. “Where is it then? I barely got to see it when we snatched it.”

Loki chuckled and waved his hands, pulling the shield from whatever magical pocket he had hidden it in. He handed it over and Sif hoisted it up, examining it critically. “Ridiculous. This would barely protect you from a dagger, let alone something more dangerous.”

“I think it was mainly ceremonial,” he murmured, taking it back from her and magicking it away again so they could continue their journey to the training yards without it getting in the way.

“Still ridiculous. Why would Thor want it if it has no actual purpose?”

Loki fixed her with a look. “After that stunt he made me pull on Midgard, I’ve stopped trying to make sense of Thor’s challenges. What would he want with all that Midgardian money?”

Sif laughed. “But you looked so handsome in that Midgardian suit,” she teased him.

Loki rolled his eyes. “So easy to please, my lady. I’ll wear a Midgardian suit for you whenever you’d like, as long as you don’t make me also jump out of a plane.”

Sif laughed and shook her head, burrowing closer to Loki’s side as she looped her arm through his again. “A little holiday to Midgard could be fun! And worth it to see you in a suit again.”

He turned to her, leering playfully. “As long as you get dressed up as well. Maybe a night at the opera?”

Sif made a face. Loki laughed. “Fine. The symphony?”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s the one with just instruments, correct?” Loki nodded. “That one is acceptable.”

Loki chuckled and Sif couldn’t help but grin at him. She loved his laugh. “Fine. Soon we’ll have a night at the symphony on Midgard. Anything to please you, my lady.”