Double Trouble (A Loki /Tom Hiddleston Fanfic)

I See You

Tom stood next to Heimdal, as he had every morning for the last week, looking into the vast emptiness of the space between worlds. All he could see were stars and planets and the nothingness in between. Heimdal on the other hand, he could see everything - and everyone.

"Prince Loki is having about as much fun as you would expect" Heimdal said, his gold eyes twinkling. A rare smile crossed his lips " it seems your world isn't quite as primitive and easy to manage as he imagined!"

Tom laughed as he looked up at him. Heimdal was a rare creature indeed - someone taller than him! He turned and looked back out into space,
"And Carrie? Is she ok?" He was more afraid of the answer as each day passed.  He knew this was for his - their - good, but he worried.  The longer they went without each other, the less she would miss him.  He on the other hand, wasn't sure how much more capacity he had to miss her.  He longed for her every moment of every day.

Volstagg and Hoygen had been his companions since Loki and Carrie had left. They had taken him riding, allowed him to brush up on his archery and Volstagg had introduced him to Asgardian ale. The first two being good for him, the hangover from the last not so much. He hadn't seen Thor for a few days now, he was away with Fandral and Lady Sif, crushing an uprising on Vanaheim. It all seemed a bit like Alice in Wonderland still, so familiar yet so alien. In every sense of the word. He felt strangely at home and wondered if, after all this was over, he could return as a traveller and not the prisoner he currently felt. Not that he would have said as much, after all, he was being treated almost as well as any visiting Prince. The only thing that still was left was to have an audience with Odin. The Allfather was busy, far too busy to be bothered with the goings on of his younger, troublesome, son so Tom's visit hadn't even been on his mind. He had, however, met the Queen. Frigga had been astonished at his likeness to Loki. Thor had introduced them on the second morning as they walked in the gardens. She had stopped, smiled and welcomed him by name. He in turn was reassured by her gentle aura and her air of regal bearing.

"Thomas, you are most welcome here for as long as you would like" she said, as he bowed and kissed her outstretched hand in supplication. Her voice was soft and melodic and despite the fact she must have been older than Loki and Thor, her face radiated a beauty that he had rarely seen on Earth. "Loki has a good heart, even if he cannot always see it." she smiled.  Thor grunted and huffed in amusement.

"My mother sees the good in everyone, even him" he sniped.

"Thor - please - Thomas is our guest and we must do everything we can to make his stay as pleasant as possible.  Sniping about your Brother is unpleasant for everyone and does you no credit. "  Even her admonishments sounded like a song. "Now, the Allfather is very busy but I will speak with him and we shall dine together soon.  It is only fitting that you be received as the representative of Midgard while you are here.  In the meantime, if there is anything you need, you only have to ask. " she made to walk away, the brief audience at an end, but she stopped and turned with a smile "Carrie is very beautiful, under other circumstances, she would be a fine Princess. Remember Thomas, treat her as one always." and with that she was gone.  

With effort, Tom dragged his thoughts back to the present.  Heimdal was answering his question. His response was quick and reassuring,

"She misses you every day, she thinks of you often. Last night she spoke to you. Loki has not replaced you in her affections Tom". He knew what the Midgardian he had come to know well, wanted to hear. Heimdal never lied, though sometimes he picked out the truths he told.  Indeed Loki had not replaced him, but there was something in the way the two of them acted alone that made him worry. He decided to help his new friend.
"Would you like to see her?" He asked.
"Can I?" Tom was taken aback, he'd assumed he couldn't leave, especially so soon, "How?"
"I can send you, just for a few minutes mind. You mustn't get too comfortable, I will recall you at any moment if I think you will be discovered, but I can see that you need this. " he turned and walked back to the sword, housed in the Bifrost mechanism. " are you ready?"
Tom nodded and the portal sprang into life, the rainbow light filling the chamber.  With a deep breath he walked into the beam. Seconds later, he was standing in the street on the pavement opposite his own house.

He couldn't have timed it better. A car drew up and Carrie got.  She was alone. His heart smiled when he saw her. She looked as beautiful as he remembered. Calm down tom, he reasoned, it had only been a week. She was hardly likely to have changed that much. Still, he noticed a new lightness in her step, a brightness to her eyes even from this distance. Letting her get into the house, he quickly crossed the street and bounded up the steps. Opening the front door, he walked into the hall.  

He was about to call out to her when he heard her speaking.
"Yes you dummy. The dark blue one - the PICC-A-DI-LLY!" she giggled, and he melted a little inside "No you cannot just magic home. You promised. Only here, only with me. No you can't just stab anyone that annoys you instead. Its not allowed! I know, they can be enormously annoying, but they're only children." she sounded as if she were talking to a five year old with incessant questions. He smirked as he imagined Loki on the other end, horrified at the crush of people around him. " Yes. I'll be here. Yes. We can watch it, I just don't understand your obsession with Forged in Fire. Its just... ah its daggers and swords! Of course !" She laughed again, " See you in a little while Lokes" there was a pause, " yes, you too" her tone was soft and warm but despite - or because of that - a chill surrounded his heart. Had Heimdal been wrong?

He walked into the kitchen where she stood and came up behind her, enveloping her in his arms. She jumped and squealed with fright, pulling away as she turned.  He smiled at her expression, it had only been a week, but he missed her terribly.

"For God's SAKE what a fright!" she put a hand to her heart "I nearly dropped! Promise me you'll never do that again!" she walked back over, standing close to him but not touching. She put her hands on his chest, her eyes full of longing "you mustn't do that, it only makes things harder for both of us."  she smiled and he pulled her into his arms.

"I don't care" he said, burying his face in her hair, his lips on her neck "I've been wanting to hold you for days.  It's too much to resist Carrie" before she could say another word, he kissed her.  All the longing and the pent up passion exploding inside him.  For a moment, she stood, unmoving, unable to think or breathe or function. Then she responded.  She kissed him back like there was no tomorrow. Her hands raked through his hair, her mouth covered by his, making sounds he could never have imagined coming from her. He pressed his body to her, making sure she felt the depth of his desire. Suddenly she broke free of him and pushed him away, panting.

"God knows I want to, I really really want to " she managed to say, clinging onto the edge of the sink for support "but we can't .  Not here, not now" she had tears in her eyes.  "It's not part of the plan is it?" 

"Since when do you and I have to stick to the plan when we're alone? How can it hurt anyone?" he couldn't believe she was rejecting him so coldly.  Surely part of the plan was for them to reconnect? He walked towards her but she held her hands out defensively.

"no, please, no.  I can't think clearly when you do that.  I-I-I am weak and everything will fall apart if I - we - do this"

She was crying full on now, her eyes closed, face a picture of angst and he could see she loved him but there was something else.  He was about to ask her to explain when he saw the light around him begin to change, Heimdal was calling him back. 

"but do you love me Carrie?" he called out as he felt himself being carried away. The last thing he saw and heard was her face and her voice as she said

"Yes, with all my heart"

What he didn't see, was her utter horror when she opened her eyes at the flash of the Bifrost and realised it had been Tom all along.  She collapsed onto the floor sobbing, what had she just done?

When Loki got back only a few minutes later,  he was hot, sweaty, crumpled and very very fed up. Despite his shortcut home, he was tired. He called to her when he got in, wanting to vent his frustrations to her, but there was no response.  He knew she was home, the door had been unlocked. He walked into the kitchen assuming she would be there and the sight that met his eyes made all the previous frustrations pale into insignificance.  Carrie sat on the floor, crying next to a round black sooty mark on the tiled floor. The mark of the Bifrost.  What the hell had happened and why was she crying? 

Seeing him, she leapt to her feet and rushed from the room upstairs to hers, slamming the door.

As he stood at the foot of the stairs, watching her go, he had a very very, bad feeling.  This was not going well.