It was you who noticed the Bifrost open first.

A few people at the back of the crowd turned to look at the spinning Observatory, but no one paid it more than a few moments notice before turning back to the play. Initially you did too, before sensing that something was wrong. Your time on Asgard with Loki had gone suspiciously smoothly; you were ready for the near perfect reality you had built yourselves to come crashing down around you at any moment. Loki had noticed your disinterest in the play.

What is it?

I'm not sure yet.

The connection between your minds was still as strong as ever. You heard him in your head as though he'd spoken directly into your ear.

Stood behind the chaise lounge upon which Loki (disguised as Odin) was sat, sipping his wine and watching his play, you shifted in annoyance. He'd seen it numerous times before but never seemed to tire of it, unlike you. You were sick to the back teeth of the stupid thing. Not that you would ever let on.

Now you were stood waiting to discreetly try and peer over your shoulder to see who had arrived through via Bifrost. People started to mutter so you turned back to the play, scowling. Posing as one of Odin's maids had been the easiest way to allow the relationship you and Loki had to continue while he acted as king, but it also meant that you actually had to work (sometimes), and maintain the façade of a maid.

You had spent the past year living in the castle, by day acting as a maid, visiting your parents (who were overjoyed that you were now living on Asgard) and training to sword fight with Sif and the Warriors Three, and by night sneaking from your chambers and about the castle (sometimes beyond) with Loki. You learnt to function on very little sleep, and to ignore jealous accusations from some of the others that you were 'Odin's favourite'. Maids weren't usually seen learning to swordfight, or let off of their duties so easily. A year had changed you drastically; your Asgardian clothes and armour felt more natural then any clothes you'd ever worn on Midgard, and you were almost as adept with a sword than even your own magic. Armed with both, you were an almost unstoppable force on the battlefield, something you had learnt on your visit back to Midgard when the Avengers had needed your help saving Sokovia. The Avengers becoming fugitives had been an excellent excuse for you to return back to Asgard, to Loki, and luckily Thor hadn't followed.

It hadn't been an entirely easy year: yours and Loki's views when it came to politics (and massive, golden statues) hadn't exactly been harmonious, and you'd almost been caught more than a few times. But you didn't want anything to change. The connection between you and he had only grown stronger in the past year, and Asgard was your home; you loved living here more than anything. The guilt you felt for lying to your parents and friends about Loki's death, and most of all lying to Thor about Loki posing as king, wasn't quite strong enough for you to give it all up. At least Thor and the team back on Midgard knew Loki was alive; you hadn't been prepared to lie about that to them.

Suddenly there was a small commotion behind you, and you turned to see Thor muscling his way through the crowd carrying a large horned skull draped in chains, of all things. The jolt of shock which shot through you was so powerful it caused Loki to turn and look at you in alarm.

What?

People were staring; and he forced a smile and turned back around as if nothing was wrong. You cast an illusion subtly, changing your face until you no longer looked like yourself and praying none of your friends stood around you would notice.

At that moment the play came to an end, and Loki stood up with his arms spread wide in delight, applauding loudly with the rest of the crowd.

"Father."

Thor was kneeling before Loki.

"Oh shit." Loki cursed into his wine, before turning to Thor with open arms.

Why didn't you tell me?!

I tried!

"My son, Thor, has returned! Greetings my boy." Loki proclaimed loudly to hide his shock.

Your heart was in your mouth. Thor wasn't stupid; he was about to expose the two of you. Maybe it was time. But you didn't want it to be. It had been the best year of your life.

Thor and Loki were talking about the large skull which Thor had been carrying with him. You deserved to be exposed; you shouldn't have lied to him about where you were, about Odin. Whenever the Avengers had asked you where you and Loki were staying you had avoided answering them completely, simply alluding to the fact that you weren't staying in one place. Which was, of course, a lie. And as for your parents and friends on Asgard, you had simply told them that you'd decided you wanted to move to Asgard after Loki's death. Pretending to grieve had been awful; you'd felt so guilty. Yes, you definitely deserved to be exposed... you would just give anything not to be.

"...the freedom to be massacred." Thor was saying. It appeared that his chat with Loki was not going all too well.

"Yes, besides, I have been rather busy myself." Loki replied.

"Watching theatre."

"Board meetings, and security council meetings..." Loki sounded truly desperate now. You wished you could help him.

"Are you really going to make me do it?" Thor asked.

"Do what?"

Thor held Loki's gaze as he began to spin Mjolnir round and round his hand and then hurled it off into the distance. Then he grabbed Loki by the back of the neck. You had to stop yourself from stepping forward and saying Thor's name. The royal attendants behind you were looking on in shock and Odin's bodyguards stepped forward but did nothing, unsure.

"You know that nothing will stop Mjolnir as it returns to my hand. Not even your face." Thor muttered in Loki's ear.

"You've gone quite mad. You'll be executed for this!" Loki choked, his eyes on Mjolnir which was fast returning through the air. You took tentative a step forward, knowing now that your time was up. Loki's eyes darted to yours, and resignation dawned across his face as he saw the look in your eyes.

"Then I'll see you on the other side, brother." Thor muttered.

Mjolnir was too close...

Loki!

"Alright, I yield!" Loki shouted, and he dropped the illusion. You closed your eyes briefly, trying not to hear the gasps which echoed around you. Thor shoved Loki away and caught Mjolnir, not even looking smug. Loki stumbled slightly before turning back to Thor, his hands in the air. You moved to drop your illusion and stand with him, but he shot you a sharp look before you could move.

No.

Suddenly Skurge stumbled into the circle which the crowd had created, out of breath after what had obviously been a long run.

"Behold! Thor... Odinson..." he panted.

Loki closed his eyes and held up a hand to silence him, his nostrils flaring. Then he turned around to look at Skurge.

"You had one job! Just the one."

"Where's Odin?" Thor asked, his voice low with anger.

"You just couldn't stay away, could you? Everything was fine without you, Asgard was prospering!" Loki said, turning back to Thor angrily, gesturing at the crowd around him, who you could sense were gradually becoming angry.

"You've ruined everything. Ask them!"

This was more horrible than you ever could have imagined. Thor advanced on Loki, who swiftly backed up on to the chaise lounge.

"Where's father? Did you kill him?" Thor asked angrily.

"You had what you wanted; you had the independence you asked for!" Loki continued. Thor pressed Mjolnir hard into Loki's chest; you dropped your illusion.

"Ow, ow, ow! Alright! I know where he is." Loki conceded. After a moment's deliberation, Thor lifted Mjolnir from his chest.

"Take me to him."

Loki didn't move for a second, then sighed and got to his feet.

"What about Y/N? What have you done with her?" Thor asked.

Loki opened his mouth in protest, but you didn't give him a chance to speak.

"He hasn't done anything with me."

The look on Thor's face as he turned to you made your heart stop. You hated yourself.

"Y/N... you knew? You've been here this whole time?" Thor asked you incredulously.

You were acutely aware of your fellow maids, your friends, shifting away from you. You prayed that Fandral and the others weren't in the crowd. They would never forgive you. And your parents...

You nodded, unable to meet Thor's gaze, feeling smaller than you ever had in your life.

Thor didn't speak for a moment, and then turned back to Loki.

"Let's go."

Loki looked at you, opening his mouth to tell you that you weren't to come with them, and then seemed to realise that it was pointless.

On your way back down the Bifrost a very loud silence settled over the three of you. And Skurge, who couldn't stop staring at Loki. When you reached the Observatory, it was to find the head of an exceptionally ugly dragon on the floor, surrounded by blood and guts.

You opened your mouth, and then closed it again. Thor finally spoke.

"What of Heimdall? Where is he?"

"How should I know? He disappeared before his trial after I charged him with negligence of duty – ow!" Loki complained as you smacked him with the blunt edge of your hilted sword. The last time you had travelled to Midgard a bunch of robots had attacked and destroyed a whole city; you weren't taking any chances: where you went, your sword went.

Thor turned to you incredulously.

"And you? You were just... okay with this?"

"No, I was not." you retorted, glaring at Loki, who scowled and looked away. You had in fact had a raging argument about what Loki had done to Heimdall, and you for one had been pleased to find out that Heimdall had escaped before his trial.

"Let's go." you said assertively, gesturing to Skurge, who obediently opened the Bifrost for you.

"Hey, don't listen to her -" Thor began, but then you were being beamed down to Midgard. Loki took your arm as you went, fully aware that you still didn't enjoy travelling by Bifrost. You resisted the urge to tug your arm away. It wasn't his fault that Thor had exposed the two of you, and technically he had just lost a lot more than you. The throne, for starters. Your guilt was just making you angry. You took his hand instead, and squeezed. He had been a good king... if you didn't count the politics side of things. Which he hadn't, at all. Okay so maybe he hadn't been all that great... but he'd been right, the people had been happy, so surely that counted for something.

You dropped Loki's hand as your feet hit the floor and looked around. You were stood in front of a demolition site which looked horribly like it had once been a nursing home. Looking around, you quickly realised that the three of you looked awfully conspicuous, and cast an illusion over yourself to make it look like you were wearing Midgardian clothes. Loki cottoned on and created an entirely black suit for himself, which you cast an unconvinced glance at before casting an illusion over Thor too, turning Mjolnir into an umbrella.

"I swear, I left him right here." Loki said, referring to Odin as he squinted at the building site, as though Odin would be sitting happily in the midst of the construction work.

"Right here on the sidewalk? Or right there, where that building is being demolished? Great planning." Thor said sarcastically.

"How was I supposed to know? I can't see into the future. I'm not a witch." Loki retaliated.

"Oh? Then why do you dress like one?" Thor asked. You disguised your laugh as a cough.

"Hey." Loki said reproachfully.

Thor stared at you for a second, then Loki, who raised an eyebrow.

"I can't believe you've been pretending to be father all this time." Thor scowled, almost as if he were annoyed at himself.

"Yes, quite." Loki replied, and Thor opened his mouth to reply but at that moment two college girls arrived to ask for a picture with Thor. Loki rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Will you start acting like you're at least a bit sorry?" you muttered to Loki.

"But I'm n-"

"Yes. You are. I know you are." you told him sternly.

Loki sighed wearily.

"Fine."

But your attention had been caught by the phone which one of the girls was using to take a picture with Thor and her friend. It was quite a bit more advanced looking than anything you had seen on your last visit to Midgard.

"Thor... what year is it on Midgard?" you asked as the college girls left, giggling excitedly.

"Two thousand and seventeen." Thor told you.

"Two thousand and- oh." you said. By your count you'd visited Midgard only four months ago when the Avengers had needed your help with Sokovia, and yet two years had passed on Midgard in the four months you had been back on Asgard.

Loki was watching you in concern. You gasped suddenly as Thor grabbed your arm and pulled you back away from Loki, looking at the floor. You looked down in confusion to see a circle of golden sparks spinning and fizzing around Loki's feet.

"What's this? What are you doing?!" Thor exclaimed.

"This... isn't me." Loki said in confusion and slight annoyance, which you understood. When had Thor ever seen Loki use magic that looked like this?

All of a sudden, Loki dropped out of sight, vanishing with a yell through the solid concrete.

"Loki!" you yelled, lunging forward, but it was too late. All that remained on the sidewalk was a business card.

Thor poked at the business card tentatively with his umbrella.

"Loki?"

You rolled your eyes, knocking Thor's umbrella out the way and picking up the business card.

"177A Bleecker Street." you read aloud, and then looked at Thor.

"You're the Midgardian, after you." he said, gesturing forward.

"It's actually that way." you pointed the opposite direction to the way Thor had gestured.

"And I'm not Midgardian."