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[justabitoffun]

It had been nearly two years since he had set foot in this realm. Practically two years worth of almost non-stop seclusion and isolation. The brief visitations from his mother notwithstanding and the one short adventure with his brother that he used to escape the dungeons of Asgard besides the point. He had spent much of the second half of his isolation hiding in the forests of Alfheim. There had been plenty of time for contemplation and self-searching during the idle days and restless nights spent alone in the remote stretches of the wilderness.

Before that, he tried traveling the stars on his own. There were plenty of places to hide out in the darkness between realms and many breathless sights to distract the mind. But it had quickly lost its appeal with no one to share the cold beauty with and he found himself going in circles, running from an enemy that was only in his mind. (Everyone thought him dead. Why would they search for him?) A part of him must have ached in a way he didn't realize possible for eventually he found himself in an old, familiar place and settled in. When he thought of why he was here or what he was doing with his time he thought he recognized the voice that took shape in his head as it sounded suspiciously like someone he knew in the past. Old conversations seemed to spring to mind as he contemplated what to do next. He never came to a decision.

And then one day the God of Chaos grew restless. He tired of the repetition that was born out of idleness and isolation. He was bored of the nothingness that his life had turned into. It was time to stop hiding.

Finally, he made a quick decision. It was more like a whim.

Two years had past since he set foot in this realm of Midgard. Two years since he had seen the mortals scurrying about on their rock that they called Earth. Two years since he had seen a certain mortal man whom he had grown rather... fond of.

It took him less than two hours to find the man when he finally got down to it. The hardest part, admittedly, had been the casting of the magical story that gave him access to a seat next to the man. The computer had succumbed eventually, however, and one poor unfortunate soul lost his claim to the seat so that Loki could walk aboard the plane and, with an elegance that defied the circumstances, sit calmly next to Phil Coulson in a commercial flight back to the United States.

Comments

[sonofcoul]

"I had the alias already. It comes in handy," he murmured, still being unable to take his eyes off of Loki.

"I... It's really you? I'm not just imagining this?"

Please let him not be imagining this.

[justabitoffun]

Loki's lips twisted into a strange little smile.

"It has been some time, but, you know me... I like to be fashionably late."

[sonofcoul]

"You--" His voice stumbled a bit on the word, so he cleared his throat. "I heard you were dead."

The irony of the statement does not completely escape him, but details.

[justabitoffun]

Loki's eyebrows hiked up his forehead. "Did you now? News of that little...escapade traveled all the way here?"

He should have known. He should have anticipated Thor, the mighty Avenger, telling his little mortal friends such a story. Bah. Loki couldn't decide which was worse: the thought that Thor may have painted him in an epic image for dying nobly, or that the Thunderer likely fell short with his attempts and caused Loki's demise to sound pathetically frail. Either way, he wasn't too pleased with the outcome.

[sonofcoul]

Coulson just nodded, still reluctant to take his eyes off of Loki. "Sif was on Earth hunting a fugitive from Asgard, and she happened to mention it. I wasn't... it wasn't good news to hear."

[justabitoffun]

"Well that is pleasing," he replied offhandedly, turning to gaze at the isle where other passengers were still filing onto the plane before its departure. He was quiet a moment before turning back to clarify. "Here I was beginning to think you'd already gone and forgotten me."

[sonofcoul]

"I think it would take a lot more than two years to make me forget about you."

He shook his head, still intent on Loki. The other passengers may well not have existed. "I think it would take more than my lifetime."

[justabitoffun]

The god's stoic demeanor cracked at that and a small, genuine smile appeared on his lips. "I suppose I will have to be reasonable then and forgive you."

[sonofcoul]

A soft smile threatened to blossom on his as well, although he kept it reined in with some rather obvious effort. "Well, thank you for your generosity."

[justabitoffun]

"You always did insist that I could be a benevolent god," he said with some small hint of wry amusement, "I suppose it is time that I simply put forth the effort to be one. At least so far as till the time I grow bored with it." He smiled at Coulson again. "Keep me entertained just a bit longer, will you?"

[sonofcoul]

Coulson's smile grew. "I'll do my best. Although I don't know how well 'The Joys of Flying Coach' would fit on any self-respecting entertainment roster."

[justabitoffun]

Loki glanced around at the spacious plane with all its passengers packed into the cabin. He was ignoring the sounds and smells like a pro before but now he took the time to take them in. His nose wrinkled in disgust.

Then he tilted his head to one side as he glanced back at Coulson. "Well. That can be easily remedied..."

[sonofcoul]

He paused, looking around slowly. It was a tempting offer. Flying commercial sucked. "Well... I wouldn't mind. If it wasn't noticed and we weren't missed."

[justabitoffun]

"Of course."

There was a pause as Loki sat back in his seat and closed his eyes for a moment. It only took a few seconds for Loki to write a script and put it into place. When he opened his eyes, the two of them were in a very different set of seats.

It was sunset in Mumbai and the two of them had a perfect view of the effects of the sun's diminishing light as it played along the coastal water.

[sonofcoul]

Coulson took a deep breath of the fresh air and let out a soft content sigh.

"And nowhere to be for the entire length of a transatlantic flight. I am going to enjoy this."

[justabitoffun]

"You're welcome."

Being away from the packed crowd also gave the god the confidence to touch Coulson for the first time since they'd been reunited. Tentatively, at first, his fingers trailed lightly over the agent's hand.

[sonofcoul]

Coulson's response was anything but tentative. He promptly threaded his fingers through Loki's own.

"I missed you. I'm glad you're here."

[justabitoffun]

Loki sighed in contentment and curled his fingers possessively around Coulson's own. "I spent a lot of time alone in the past two years," he said and then paused, perhaps not quite certain where he was going with the line. But the follow-up seemed inevitable. "It was not as pleasant as the two years before that."

[sonofcoul]

"I can't say I've spent nearly as much time in solitude. But I can say that having people around was never the same as having you around."

[justabitoffun]

The god leaned into Coulson affectionately like a cuddly cat, soaking up the warmth and comfort the other provided simply by being close. It was hard to understand just how much the heart ached until it no longer had reason to. He didn't know if it was the right decision to come here like this now, but he knew he didn't care. He would not rather have been anywhere else than here in this moment.

[sonofcoul]

He smiled, leaning back into Loki as he watched the sunset. So much time and so much stress separated him from the last time he had seen the god, and yet all of that seemed to just melt away in the moment. He was under no illusion that it wouldn't return, but for this once, he would be perfectly happy to just savor the moment.

[justabitoffun]

Though the moment was precious there was only so much time that could pass in silence. Eventually, Loki broke that silence with a softly spoken observation. "There is a lot of time to make up for being apart..."

[sonofcoul]

Coulson nodded. "A lot of time, and I'm sure a lot of life lived in it. Making up for all that won't necessarily be simple." He looked over at Loki. "But seeing you here... I know it's doable."

[justabitoffun]

Loki gave him that half-hearted, half-saddened smile that seemed to be the god's trademark and then glanced away. Such sentiment...

"Yes, well. I was being a lot less romantic than that, truth be told," the Trickster said with a somewhat sheepish laugh.

[sonofcoul]

Coulson let out a soft laugh himself and just shook his head ruefully. "Well, that's me for you, I guess. Pressing on against all odds and everything."