Fic: Frayed (6)
"Don't you look pretty."
Amelia spun in place. "It's Teddy's party."
Peter smiled at the billowing skirt. "Jake's going with you?" She nodded. "Will Henry be there?"
Amelia gave him a look. "Yes." Peter was quiet, considering his answer. "You worry too much, Daddy."
He shook his head. "I don't think so."
"Henry sees me the way you do."
"I know that's not true."
Amelia huffed with exasperation. She turned away to fix her hair in the mirror. "I'm just a silly little girl with a crush. You're the only one who cares and I'm the only one who gets hurt." She paused to apply lipgloss. Peter's frown deepened. She looked especially pale in her reflection, but it could be a trick of the light or the white dress. "I'm leaving in a week." She smacked her lips once and turned back to her father. "What can happen in a week?"
Peter threw up his hands. "Anything!"
Amelia sighed. "Jake's waiting for me."
"Are you ready?"
Liv jumped at the question. She did not feel ready for any of the day's events, yet here they were. Hogun smiled at her nerves, assigning them to the social anxieties of any young woman on the cusp of adulthood. By rights it should have been her wedding day, not his, and the thought had been enough to rattle even Odin during the toasting the night before. Little Liv, all grown up, whether they were ready or not.
Liv stood straight and nodded, once, in a close imitation of her father. Hogun's smile grew and he led her to the door.
"Is there anything but wine?"
Amelia looked over at her brother's approach. "Champagne?" She pointed, giggling, at a line of flutes in the back row on the tab of drinks.
Ben rolled his eyes and mentally scolded Winona (who mentally laughed at him). Amelia picked a glass from the middle row and raised it in toast to her brother. "You can't drink that."
Amelia's hand dropped and her eyebrows raised. "Can't?"
Ben refrained from rolling his eyes again. "I mean that there are a posse of photographers just dying to snap Carol Danvers' wayward daughter partying hard."
"Wayward?" repeated Amelia. "One glass of wine is not partying hard."
"It's enough for them to make up whatever story they want."
Amelia did not refrain from rolling her eyes. "Tabloid vocabulary and TMZ level fact-checking. Look at all the great things you've learned at the Bugle."
Ben ignored her sarcasm. "Tony Stark would tell you the same thing."
"Tony Stark would tell me to make up my own story," she countered with assurance.
Ben held the look and took the wineglass from her hand. As Amelia stalked off he replaced it on the table with a sigh; he walked in the opposite direction to find her a lemonade. The frozen kind. Her favorite.
A traditional Asgardian wedding ceremony was short and sweet. The bride and groom exchange swords and rings and are introduced to the guests. The ceremony takes under an hour, the celebration continues for a week or more. Hogun and Erp were not an entirely traditional couple but they wanted the wedding to reflect the Asgardian values of community and honor.
Hogun was accompanied by Liv, and Erp was accompanied by Fandral's son, Finn. The exchange of swords goes back to ancient times and the bride's was traditionally given into her keeping but intended for the couple's firstborn son. This was expressed in the lyric of the bride's vow with a promise to bear good sons to fight for the glory of her village. With two grooms, as it were -- though everyone agreed that Erp was a bridezilla -- it was suggested they remove that part of the vows. But Hogun found it poetic so it was left in. Anthony frowned at Fandral's and Volstagg's loud guffaw at the idea of Erp and Hogun raising a son, but Jamie pointed out they were simply laughing at their friends. Meredith found the whole thing fascinating. Vincent found the whole thing wonderfully archaic. Mal found the whole thing annoying. But mostly Liv. And Thor. And the rainbows.
Loki could just hear the cheers of the crowd. He smiled in anticipation.
"He wants to protect you."
"I know." Amelia shook her head. Complaining to Jake about Ben being overprotective was like complaining to Doctor Doom about Ultron being crazy.
"We can go..." His tone was hesitant, which only served to irritate her more. "Find somewhere that has something other than wine to drink?"
Amelia clearly found this suggestion ridiculous. "I don't want to leave."
"Okay."
She took an exaggerated breath. "You can leave. We can meet up later."
Jake frowned. "Do you want me to leave?
"No." She sounded exhausted, which only served to make him more concerned. "But would you be here if I wasn't?"
"I want to spend time with you and I want to keep you safe." He tried to take her hand but she pulled it away and crossed her arms in pique.
"You can't keep me safe."
"Amelia--"
"Maybe this is what your parents' marriage is like but my parents' marriage is built on equality and trust."
Jake stared, confounded; if she'd slapped him he'd have been less surprised. Amelia seemed to be waiting for a response but his mind was a blank. Amelia rubbed her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She bolted away before he could answer.
After the ceremony, the real party began. There was dancing, drinking, speeches, drinking, feasting and drinking. Anthony and Vincent danced, Jamie toasted Erp, Liv and Meredith feasted, and Mal got drunk. The celebration was loud, the Asgardians were boisterous, the Midgardians were unrestrained.
And suddenly, so was Loki.
Loud.
Loki slammed his scepter against the stone floor and the sound of bells filled the ballroom.
Boisterous.
Loki's laughter cut through the bells as music and revelers alike fell silent and still, staring.
And unrestrained.
"Impossible!"
Loki smiled at his brother. So predictable. "Clearly not."
Thor crossed the room to Loki in three steps. "What is this trickery? How did you escape?"
"Thor, Thor, Thor." Thor stood silently glaring as Loki circled. "You should know better than to build a magic prison..." He winked at the crowd. "...for a magician." Thor crossed his arms and continued to glare. "It was -- for you -- clever." Loki was still circling, and clearly playing to the crowd. Everyone was so still, Vincent imagined a spell must be invoved, though he couldn't detect one cast on himself. "Only an Asgardian...blood... royal..." Loki stepped closer to Thor with each word, finally bowing with mock honor when he stood beside his brother. "...can access the gate. It's a daily reminder of everything... I'm... not."
"That was not the purpose --" blustered Thor.
"Of course not."
"Nor the design!" Both looked to Frigga, stepping as easily across the room as her son had. "Loki. You are our responsibility because you are our family."
"Pretty words, mother."
She shook her head, eyes as bright as her hair. A fury. "It was all for your protection only. You have made many enemies."
"Prettier."
Frigga started to answer but Odin joined her, with a hand up to stay the words. He focused on Loki.
"What do you want?"
Loki lowered his scepter. "I've missed you."
His parents and his brother -- his family -- looked at each other and silently came to an agreement.
"If you are here to join the festivities... you may stay."
Loki bowed to his father, far deeper than he had to Thor. "Thank you." The deep bow hid his sneer; this looked to be absurdly easy. He flicked a wrist and the murmurs of the crowd returned.
"Wait." Loki froze. Sif. Always Sif. "How did you escape?"
Loki straightened and met her suspicious eyes directly. "As I explained, only an Asgardian blood royal can access the gate."
Confusion met his words. Thor, Odin, and Frigga exchanged another look and slowly it dawned on them. As one the crowd turned its gaze to Liv. She returned the stares with unflinching pride. Loki smiled.
"I would not have been entirely surprised if it hadn't worked." His tone was conversational, but chilling somehow. "In our interactions she's reminded me more of ...me."
Thor's eyes narrowed and he raised his hand to call Mjolnir -- a split second too late. Light and bells filled the room as Loki's trap was sprung.
"Of course, she's far too trusting, and that's all you."
Amelia spun in place. "It's Teddy's party."
Peter smiled at the billowing skirt. "Jake's going with you?" She nodded. "Will Henry be there?"
Amelia gave him a look. "Yes." Peter was quiet, considering his answer. "You worry too much, Daddy."
He shook his head. "I don't think so."
"Henry sees me the way you do."
"I know that's not true."
Amelia huffed with exasperation. She turned away to fix her hair in the mirror. "I'm just a silly little girl with a crush. You're the only one who cares and I'm the only one who gets hurt." She paused to apply lipgloss. Peter's frown deepened. She looked especially pale in her reflection, but it could be a trick of the light or the white dress. "I'm leaving in a week." She smacked her lips once and turned back to her father. "What can happen in a week?"
Peter threw up his hands. "Anything!"
Amelia sighed. "Jake's waiting for me."
"Are you ready?"
Liv jumped at the question. She did not feel ready for any of the day's events, yet here they were. Hogun smiled at her nerves, assigning them to the social anxieties of any young woman on the cusp of adulthood. By rights it should have been her wedding day, not his, and the thought had been enough to rattle even Odin during the toasting the night before. Little Liv, all grown up, whether they were ready or not.
Liv stood straight and nodded, once, in a close imitation of her father. Hogun's smile grew and he led her to the door.
"Is there anything but wine?"
Amelia looked over at her brother's approach. "Champagne?" She pointed, giggling, at a line of flutes in the back row on the tab of drinks.
Ben rolled his eyes and mentally scolded Winona (who mentally laughed at him). Amelia picked a glass from the middle row and raised it in toast to her brother. "You can't drink that."
Amelia's hand dropped and her eyebrows raised. "Can't?"
Ben refrained from rolling his eyes again. "I mean that there are a posse of photographers just dying to snap Carol Danvers' wayward daughter partying hard."
"Wayward?" repeated Amelia. "One glass of wine is not partying hard."
"It's enough for them to make up whatever story they want."
Amelia did not refrain from rolling her eyes. "Tabloid vocabulary and TMZ level fact-checking. Look at all the great things you've learned at the Bugle."
Ben ignored her sarcasm. "Tony Stark would tell you the same thing."
"Tony Stark would tell me to make up my own story," she countered with assurance.
Ben held the look and took the wineglass from her hand. As Amelia stalked off he replaced it on the table with a sigh; he walked in the opposite direction to find her a lemonade. The frozen kind. Her favorite.
A traditional Asgardian wedding ceremony was short and sweet. The bride and groom exchange swords and rings and are introduced to the guests. The ceremony takes under an hour, the celebration continues for a week or more. Hogun and Erp were not an entirely traditional couple but they wanted the wedding to reflect the Asgardian values of community and honor.
Hogun was accompanied by Liv, and Erp was accompanied by Fandral's son, Finn. The exchange of swords goes back to ancient times and the bride's was traditionally given into her keeping but intended for the couple's firstborn son. This was expressed in the lyric of the bride's vow with a promise to bear good sons to fight for the glory of her village. With two grooms, as it were -- though everyone agreed that Erp was a bridezilla -- it was suggested they remove that part of the vows. But Hogun found it poetic so it was left in. Anthony frowned at Fandral's and Volstagg's loud guffaw at the idea of Erp and Hogun raising a son, but Jamie pointed out they were simply laughing at their friends. Meredith found the whole thing fascinating. Vincent found the whole thing wonderfully archaic. Mal found the whole thing annoying. But mostly Liv. And Thor. And the rainbows.
Loki could just hear the cheers of the crowd. He smiled in anticipation.
"He wants to protect you."
"I know." Amelia shook her head. Complaining to Jake about Ben being overprotective was like complaining to Doctor Doom about Ultron being crazy.
"We can go..." His tone was hesitant, which only served to irritate her more. "Find somewhere that has something other than wine to drink?"
Amelia clearly found this suggestion ridiculous. "I don't want to leave."
"Okay."
She took an exaggerated breath. "You can leave. We can meet up later."
Jake frowned. "Do you want me to leave?
"No." She sounded exhausted, which only served to make him more concerned. "But would you be here if I wasn't?"
"I want to spend time with you and I want to keep you safe." He tried to take her hand but she pulled it away and crossed her arms in pique.
"You can't keep me safe."
"Amelia--"
"Maybe this is what your parents' marriage is like but my parents' marriage is built on equality and trust."
Jake stared, confounded; if she'd slapped him he'd have been less surprised. Amelia seemed to be waiting for a response but his mind was a blank. Amelia rubbed her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She bolted away before he could answer.
After the ceremony, the real party began. There was dancing, drinking, speeches, drinking, feasting and drinking. Anthony and Vincent danced, Jamie toasted Erp, Liv and Meredith feasted, and Mal got drunk. The celebration was loud, the Asgardians were boisterous, the Midgardians were unrestrained.
And suddenly, so was Loki.
Loud.
Loki slammed his scepter against the stone floor and the sound of bells filled the ballroom.
Boisterous.
Loki's laughter cut through the bells as music and revelers alike fell silent and still, staring.
And unrestrained.
"Impossible!"
Loki smiled at his brother. So predictable. "Clearly not."
Thor crossed the room to Loki in three steps. "What is this trickery? How did you escape?"
"Thor, Thor, Thor." Thor stood silently glaring as Loki circled. "You should know better than to build a magic prison..." He winked at the crowd. "...for a magician." Thor crossed his arms and continued to glare. "It was -- for you -- clever." Loki was still circling, and clearly playing to the crowd. Everyone was so still, Vincent imagined a spell must be invoved, though he couldn't detect one cast on himself. "Only an Asgardian...blood... royal..." Loki stepped closer to Thor with each word, finally bowing with mock honor when he stood beside his brother. "...can access the gate. It's a daily reminder of everything... I'm... not."
"That was not the purpose --" blustered Thor.
"Of course not."
"Nor the design!" Both looked to Frigga, stepping as easily across the room as her son had. "Loki. You are our responsibility because you are our family."
"Pretty words, mother."
She shook her head, eyes as bright as her hair. A fury. "It was all for your protection only. You have made many enemies."
"Prettier."
Frigga started to answer but Odin joined her, with a hand up to stay the words. He focused on Loki.
"What do you want?"
Loki lowered his scepter. "I've missed you."
His parents and his brother -- his family -- looked at each other and silently came to an agreement.
"If you are here to join the festivities... you may stay."
Loki bowed to his father, far deeper than he had to Thor. "Thank you." The deep bow hid his sneer; this looked to be absurdly easy. He flicked a wrist and the murmurs of the crowd returned.
"Wait." Loki froze. Sif. Always Sif. "How did you escape?"
Loki straightened and met her suspicious eyes directly. "As I explained, only an Asgardian blood royal can access the gate."
Confusion met his words. Thor, Odin, and Frigga exchanged another look and slowly it dawned on them. As one the crowd turned its gaze to Liv. She returned the stares with unflinching pride. Loki smiled.
"I would not have been entirely surprised if it hadn't worked." His tone was conversational, but chilling somehow. "In our interactions she's reminded me more of ...me."
Thor's eyes narrowed and he raised his hand to call Mjolnir -- a split second too late. Light and bells filled the room as Loki's trap was sprung.
"Of course, she's far too trusting, and that's all you."